Gear Articles tagged ‘skiing’

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Snowbird Update: The Life and Death of Dotted Lines

By: Jeffrey Miesbauer | May 25th, 2011
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Perfect????....Photo by Re Wikstrom

Snowbird has blown up the news wire this spring, issuing a dizzying string of press releases to counteract the criticism it received for recently proposed developments. One key proposal involved the construction of an alpine roller coaster; the other was a Master Development Plan to study the effects of a new tram to the top of the American Fork Twin Peaks and the effects of extending the resort into Mary Ellen Gulch. Although nothing has been approved or denied officially, the tide of opinion seems to show that Utahans like ski lifts more than roller coasters.

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Posted in Commentary, Outdoor Articles, Skiing |

IOC Approves Ski Halfpipe for the 2014 Olympics

By: Jeffrey Miesbauer | April 27th, 2011
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The word is out.  Men’s and women’s ski halfpipe will be an event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The decision came as the International Olympic Committee convened in a plush London conference room on April 6, far from snow, mountains, and tall tees. Since snowboard halfpipe brought home the bacon (in terms of ratings and sponsorships) during the past two games, ski halfpipe was the next logical step. But a move from Winter X to the Winter Olympics is sure to spark some controversy from the freeskiing community.

Look out for these names in Sochi 2014.

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Posted in Commentary, Skiing |

Monday Slam Sesh

By: Adam Riser | April 4th, 2011
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As if missing his line on a 60-foot cliff drop and then tomahawking 100 feet down the slope weren’t enough, Callum Pettit took this slam one step further during a filming sesh with Teton Gravity Research. Take a look to see how to quickly things can go from bad to worse. (Just click the X in the upper right when the add appears so you can move onto the goods.)

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Posted in Video |

Traveling With Skis and Snowboards

By: Jeffrey Miesbauer | March 23rd, 2011
1 Comment »

If only it were this easy ... Photo credit: Lee Cohen

Whether you live at the base of the Cottonwood Canyons or in the heart of the Carolinas, you’ll eventually hear the call of a faraway mountain range and travel by air to ski or ride. Since spring is go-time for places like Alaska and interior British Columbia, and it’s been known to produce big Pacific storms throughout the west, we thought we’d share some advice on traveling with your closet of gear in tow.

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Posted in Featured, How To, Skiing |

Monday Q&A: Skis, Boots, Beacons, & More

By: Beth Lopez | March 21st, 2011
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Wish your Monday would go away? We do too. But at least we can offer some pleasantly gear-centric diversion; take a look at this week’s product questions from our customer community on Backcountry.com. We whipped up some answers, and we’d love your two cents too.

Keen Klamath Mid Boot

Hi Gear Freaks,

I recently bought these boots to take backpacking in the canyons of Utah. I wore the boots around for 3 days prior to going and felt the tongue was uncomfortable at first but no other problems arose. I have wide feet and high arches and love all my other Keen shoes. As a gal with large feet I often buy men’s shoes.

After hiking seven miles on the first day over rocky and sandy terrain my arches were very painful. It just got worse from there. I don’t know if it’s the boots or the backpacking. Has anyone had a similar experience or suggestions to improve this problem. Otherwise I love the boots.

-Outdoorsy CO Gal

A: Hey, Outdoorsy Gal. As a trail runner and hiker, I can definitely empathize with your pain. Sometimes you find a brand that usually works for your foot shape, but even then, there can be some anomalies within that brand. Maybe your Keen sandals and walking shoes fit your feet well, but these boots are constructed differently because they’re intended for a different purpose—long hikes. Read More …

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Posted in Gear Guide, Q&A |

More SIA Trade Show Highlights with Backcountry.com Athletes: 4FRNT, TREW, & More

By: Sam Peters | March 11th, 2011
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Here, 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

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Posted in Gear Guide |

Re Wikstrom Interview

By: Adam Riser | March 9th, 2011
3 Comments »

The lady behind the lens.

A few years ago, I’d occasionally open a ski magazine, see a photo of some girl going huge, check out the credit, and say, “Hey, I know the girl who took that.” Today, it’s rare to open a ski magazine without seeing a few Re Wikstrom photos inside, or even one on the cover. As Re’s career has blown up, she has seen her work printed in Powder Magazine, The Ski Journal, Freeskier, Backcountry Magazine (including two covers), several catalogs, and multiple pages around the interwebs. She even scored a several-page spread all to herself in The Ski Journal Photobook.

What sets Re apart from the pack (you know, besides unwavering dedication to her craft, a great eye for composition, and just being an incredibly nice person) is that she focuses primarily on female freeskiers. Outraged because no one could seem to take a photo of a women on skis unless it was a cheesy outtake or someone wearing a bikini, Re decided that instead of complaining about the state of ski photography, she would do her part to change it. After years of working with a crew of ladies who will ski you into the ground, it’s safe to say that she’s accomplished (and continues to accomplish) her mission.

Winter is a hard time to nail Re down for more than two minutes, but I get ahold of her during a quick stop in Bellingham between trips to Canada and ask her a few questions.

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Posted in Interviews |

Monday QA

By: Adam Riser | March 7th, 2011
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Thule Prologue Pack Bike Mount

Q: Will this rack work with a thru axle design on the front forks?

By: W.Ward
4 days ago

A: Unfortunately, this rack will only work with standard drop-out designs. Since you’re like I am and you run a through-axle fork, your only option is to either get a different rack or buy a through-axle fork adapter. Yakima and Thule both make them, and you can get them in any size out there. It’s not as easy as using a rack like the Thule Sidearm, which is designed to work without forcing you to remove the front wheel at all, but it will do. It’s also handy to have one of these adapters when you’re shuttling with friends, since your pals’ racks may not fit your bike. Read More …

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Posted in Featured, Gear Guide, How To, Outdoor Articles, Skiing |

How to Shoot and Edit POV Video

By: Jeb Admire | February 25th, 2011
2 Comments »

If the Internet is the great equalizer of the 21st century, democratizing the power of data, then POV action sports video cameras like the GoPro Hero and Contour HD are the equivalent video camera revolutionaries of our age, giving everyone from 3-year-old rippers to gray-haired veterans the chance to share their ski footage with the world.

Inspiration

Videos created with these cameras have the potential to wow your audience, but don’t be intimidated or tell yourself you have to be the ripping-est shredder on the hill to produce compelling footage. With a simple shot list of angles to get, followed by a couple of hours of filming and a modicum of commitment toward editing, you can ditch the bored-to-death ’60s vacation slide show stereotypes and keep your audience glued to their screens.

  • Caveat: This is not meant to be the definitive syllabus on shooting with a POV camera, but simply a starting point for those who eschew the thought of becoming the latest blip in the YouTube universe. Read More …

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Posted in How To, Skiing, Splitboarding |

Ode to the Office Job

By: Adam Riser | February 23rd, 2011
9 Comments »

Drying gear and working hard (or at least appearing to) after a morning of face shots.

I have an office job. I sit in a cubicle and spend most of my day typing on a computer and looking at spreadsheets. It wasn’t always like this; I used to be a river guide. I worked rivers all over Washington and Oregon while living in my truck. I climbed 200 days during my first year as a river guide. Then I became a climbing guide on Mt. Rainier. What could be better? I got paid to climb and climbed all day. Well, in theory anyway. Really, I got paid to carry a big pack and walk slowly in dangerous places while tied to clients who were seemingly trying to kill themselves (and, by extension, me). When I did finally have a day off, climbing was the last thing I wanted to do. Eventually, and entirely by accident, I landed a “real” job. I hear a lot of people blaming their office jobs for their failure to get out and get after it. However, I find that my desk job hasn’t killed my climbing; it’s actually given me the freedom (and rest) to do more.

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Posted in How To, Newsletter, Outdoor Articles, Skiing |

Athlete Highlights from Outdoor Retailer – Video

By: Jeb Admire | February 18th, 2011
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Salt Lake City — Most self-respecting gear junkies will submit to nearly any dare to get a pass to the Outdoor Retailer show held every winter and summer in Utah. Fortunately we didn’t have to chug a gallon of milk or eat a plate of raw chicken to get into the Salt Palace convention center to scope out the show to get you a sneak peak. Showcasing the world’s finest outdoor brands and their seemingly endless smorgasbord of samples of next year’s gear, the winter OR is probably the coolest place where those of us addicted to ripping waist deep cold smoke can hang out when we aren’t be in the mountains. This year we walked the floor, checked out the on-snow demo and got the chance to link up with a few of the backcountry.com-sponsored athletes. From Greg “2mill” Hill, to Chris Davenport and Julian Carr, the 2010 Winter OR was teeming with heavies happy to give us some of their time and spread the good word on what to look for in 2011.

Schmoozing with Greg Hill at Outdoor Retailer

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Posted in Athletes, Interviews, Outdoor Articles, Skiing |

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