Gear Articles tagged ‘snowboarding’

April Showers, May … Snowflakes

By: Kate Showalter | May 7th, 2010
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Hiking Baldy at Snowbird on May 1, 2010; Photo by Kris Saign

Assuming you’re in the northern hemisphere, you’re likely looking forward to summer’s arrival instead of backward to winter’s snowy days. Here in Utah, however, after a mediocre ski season, we still have snow on the brain. A 33-inch dump at Snowbird resort last weekend didn’t help any of us move on to our summer sport of choice.

As if we weren’t having enough trouble recovering from last weekend’s powder panic, while we sat at our desks yesterday and watched snowflakes fall outside our office windows, we stumbled onto Flaky Science. The Economist highlights the research of two scientists at the University of Utah who think they’ve determined what weather and temperature conditions make the best snow for skiing and riding. Read More …

Breaking News: Unknown Gathering at a Local Resort Sparks Interest

By: Kyle Marston and Thomas Bracken | April 9th, 2010
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Anchorwoman Rita Reesekammer of BCDF-69 has just received breaking news from reporter Karl Bradshaw in the Beacon News chopper hovering above an unexplained scene at The Canyons ski and snowboard resort, Park City, Utah.

Rita: Karl, can you tell us what you see?

    Photo by Sean Kerrick Sullivan, Courtesy of The Canyons Resort

Photo by Sean Kerrick Sullivan, Courtesy of The Canyons Resort

Karl: There appears to be a crowd amassed around a large pond high up at the resort. The pond looks to be about 100-feet long and considering it is early spring, we can only assume that the water would cause major shrinkage and serious high-beams. The pilot is going to attempt to land near the site so I can get a closer look at this strange event. Read More …

Tuckerman’s Ravine – Spring Skiing in New Hampshire

By: Daniel Boccia | April 8th, 2010
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I’m almost at the top, trying to avoid glancing down. The bootpack is so steep that my skis, strapped to my pack, brush the snow above my head. The guy in front of me is sporting jeans and somehow managing the climb with what must be a pair of at least 190s nonchalantly slung over his shoulder. Crushed cans of Coors Original rattle in the cargo pocket of my ski pants. This is New Hampshire. This is Tuckerman’s.

tuckermans_ravine1

Having spent nearly a decade skiing the Rockies, I often and only half-jokingly espoused the virtues of my East coast roots. So it always bothered me that I had never skied the East coast’s premier test-piece – the headwall of Tuckerman’s Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington. Read More …

Top 10 Gape-tastic Videos

By: Beth Lopez | April 2nd, 2010
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Gaper BonanzaAs we savor the final weeks of ski season, we at Backcountry.com have noticed the usual seasonable influx of non-ironic denim and colorblock one-pieces on the spring-breaker-flooded resort slopes. Nobody enjoys a hearty point-and-laugh from the mid-mountain patio as much as we do, and we thank the tourists who film their exploits and post them on the interwebs so we can continue to gape vicariously online. Read More …

Store Your Skis and Boards for Next Season

By: Rocky Thompson | March 31st, 2010
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Wax protects your edges and baseIt’s time to quit driving around with your skis on the top of the car. Before you head for your first camping trip or bike ride, spend a few minutes putting your gear away so your expensive pair of skis or snowboard is still rideable next year. Read More …

DIY: Paint Your Skis / Snowboard

By: JGW | March 9th, 2010
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Always wear proper protection
Butter knives dull and worn from too much abuse in the park? Your seasoned pow planks suffering from case of dated artwork? We painted our boards and skis and put together a step-by-step guide. We also enlisted the help of the custom painting pros at TOWR13 Customs to show you how to do it yourself. Read More …

Groomer’s Pick – Night in the Life of a Snowcat Operator Part II

By: Kyle Marston | March 4th, 2010
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Move out

Move out

We had hoped that a super-dump of lake-effect Utah powder would bless this experience, but that’s not how it goes tonight—no fresh, just overcast skies. Ty pokes a few buttons on the smart phone that’s connected to the entertainment system, and the cats roll out one-by-one to a soundtrack courtesy of the brothers Allman. Read More …

Groomer’s Pick: A Night in the Life of a Snowcat Operator Part I

By: Kyle Marston | March 3rd, 2010
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So what does it take to turn bumpy resort runs into smooth, white goodness reminiscent of sweet, buttery cake frosting? Before resort lifts can propel ski patrol up to deem the mountain “safe” and ready to open, key areas need to be groomed. It takes a specific machine, a snow cat, a confident person to operate it, and every available minute to achieve success. Read More …

Taos Snowboarding Success? – Interview from Taos

By: Jeb Admire | February 4th, 2010
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rainbow boxA second full season of snowboarding is under way at Taos Ski Valley (TSV). Up until the 08/09 season, TSV was one of only four resorts across the country that didn’t allow snowboarders. Has hell frozen over? Are pigs circling overhead? We took some runs with a couple TSV officials to find out. Before catching up with Alejandro “Hanno” Blake, TSV Events Coordinator and grandson of TSV founder Ernie Blake, we got a chance to speak with Ski School Director Jean Mayer and local snowboarder and jeweler Scott Plumlee. Read More …

Top 10 Things That Chap Our Collective Ass

By: Toni Isom | January 29th, 2010
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In an effort to make everyone’s shred experience a little better, here’s a jaded list of things that irk us. Enjoy!

10. People who tuck their snowboard pants into their boots.

This isn’t equestrian school. If we had a free foot, we’d kick you as we rode past.

9. Cell phones on the hill.

One of the best things about snowboarding or skiing is getting out of the city and up on the mountain. Hearing some slack-jawed yokel yak about how many beers he shotgunned last night before he passed out in the bathtub kind of ruins the mood. If you really need your phone (like, if you’re an E.R. doctor), at least put your phone on vibrate so we don’t have to listen to your Fergie ringtone. Side note: if you are an E.R. doctor with a Fergie ringtone, please don’t operate on me. I’ll just pop some Advil and take my chances. Read More …