With exactly these words I was presented the iSki iPhone app. I was asked if Homeboys would like to review the app and write a story of it. Oh yeah, why not, even though iPhone is not  too popular here in Finland (yet). We soon must find an iPhone somewhere in order to review the iSki app during the next couple of weeks. For those of youwho have one it looks pretty promising and best of all it’s free.

Personally I have been a bit skeptic with these iPhone apps for backcountry skiers. May be it’s just because I’m getting older (he he.. 35 is old already), but I won’t let my age disturb our serious iSki test session. Before we get into the actual review I let the manufacturer say couple of more words about the iSki iPhone application.

Once your on the slopes, iSki’s Pace Tracer feature allows you to track your speed and altitude through iPhones GPS technology as you ride above the clouds. Side kick allows you to see where your friends are on Google maps when they can’t keep up with you.

When you decide to take a break from deep powder, iSki’s Cash Stasher can help you find the best deals on food, shops, and hotels. Best part about it is that iSki is FREE at the App Store. You might even save enough money to call in sick tomorrow. More information can be found at iski.apptime.com or for more snow related information visit snowfinder.com.

Here is what others have said about our iSki App.

“iSki allows the user to get updates on current snow conditions for most of the world’s ski resorts. A summary resort page lets you scan conditions by region, while a resort detail page includes weather conditions, webcams, trail maps (some of which are GPS-enabled) and more. When enabled, an alert feature sends a text message to the user in the event three inches or more new snow falls at their favorite hills.

Unlike other snow reporting apps, the iSki’s Pace Tracer feature tracks the user’s speed and altitude using the iPhone’s GPS technology. Sidekick Search uses Google Maps to find your friends who can’t keep up.

Units for snow depth, temperature and GPS data are selectable between English and Metric units. GPS data can be turned on or off by the user.

iSki is free to download thanks to advertising support that appears in the form of a splash screen at launch, as well in the app’s Cash Stasher feature that includes coupon discounts that can hook up the user with places to eat, sleep, and shop.

iSki is now available for free download from the iPhone App Store. More information may be found at iski.apptime.com.”

Have you used iSki or any other iPhone apps for skiers? Please let us know (leave a comment below) about your experiences because we are truly new to these kind of gadgets.

Photo by uwehermann

via homeboyski.com

Statistics
Average snowfall: 300 inches (760cm)
Vertical drop: 2,353 feet (717 m)
Terrain: 3000 acres  (15% of that beginner, 35% intermediate, 40% advanced, 10% expert)
Lifts: 12 total lifts, 3 of them high speed quads

Over the past few years Whitefish has gone through a lot. It has been transformed from a locals ski area to a bigger, more visitor orientated resort with a resort village and real estate developments. The locals can’t make up their mind about if the developments have been for the better or worse.  Some locals say that the day visitor parking lots have been moved too far from the center of the resort to create space for condos, lift tickets have gotten more expensive and that increased crowds are bothering them. On the other hand the new visitors always bring in more money, which has allowed Whitefish to update their lift system with the new high speed quads, making the trip to the top of the mountain a breeze. Even though we visited Whitefish during one of the busiest time of the year, between Christmas and New Year the lift lines were either non-existent or short. And the lift ticket prices are still reasonable compared to many other resorts big resorts, with the adult day pass costing $61.

Skiers heading down the North Side of Whitefish with Glacier National Park in the background

Skiing Whitefish

One good thing about Whitefish that when all of the terrain is open the entire mountain is truly skiable. The lifts go up the mountain on each side of it, and there’s a network of trails that goes around the mountain. Between the groomed trails there’s terrain of every variety from open bowls to tree skiing. The profile of the mountain is in general great for skiing, with consistent fall lines and just a few flatter spots that might annoy some.  The views are amazing if visibility is good, with the Glacier National Park’s huge mountains looming behind the resort and Whitefish Lake to the south.

The mountain has 3 main areas, Front side, North Side and Hellroaring Basin.

The Front Side is the place to be for the beginner skier

Pretty much all of the beginner trails are located on the Front Side. There’s couple of chairlifts that serve beginner terrain only which will surely keep beginners and families happy. Its nice to have own, separate areas where you don’t have to be afraid of expert skiers wooshing by on their way to the double black diamonds. For those who prefer the green runs there are a good variety of them, also from the top of the mountain, so you don’t have to stick for the one and same run for the whole duration of your holiday.

View of part of the Frontside

The Front Side has some expert terrain too, separated from the beginner terrain, and it’s great for someone who’s looking to do quick, leg-burning laps off the fast chair 1 on a quiet powder day. On the far right side of the Front Side is the East Rim, which has some nice cliffed terrain, but watch out for the 80 feet high ones.. The area holds powder for longer than many other runs if you know your way around, but the traverse back to chair one is long and boring on a green run. The problem with top-to-bottom runs on Chair One can be the snow quality since the base station of the chair sits relatively low.

Click here for the full trail map of the Front Side.

The North Side of Whitefish

Intermediate skiers will find themselves at home here with a variety of blue runs. The North Side is north facing (obviously) and in shadow (just what you’d expect from backside, duh) and coupled with the fact that the base station of the chairlift serving this terrain is higher than other lifts in Whitefish results to usually the best snow conditions on the mountain. Because of small local weather variations the backside also gets a bit more snowfall than the frontside.

There are two gripes though – the skiable vertical here is only about 1000 feet (300m) and the runs tend to be steep in the beginning and somewhat low angle after that. Luckily this is the only area of Whitefish that is affected by this problem. The North Side is served by one high speed quad, and if the Front Side has lift lines then the North Side is a good place to escape them.

Click here for the trail map of the North Side.

Hellroaring Basin – pure off-trail skiing

Hellroaring Basin is where most of the off-trail skiing in Whitefish is. There is only one groomed run down the area, a blue run that is not really worth talking about. It mainly serves the purpose of getting skiers to the Hellroaring chair after a run off the trail. Rest of the skiing is black and double black diamonds.

One can drop into the horseshoe-shaped basin from any point along the cat tracks that circle it. There’s some great tree-skiing here, along with couple of chutes and open areas. It doesn’t get tracked out very fast, partly because to do laps in the basin you first need to ride up Hellroaring Chair to the side of the basin and then ski down to Chair 1 to get up to the top of the mountain again. An annoyance, but only a minor since it keeps some of the crowds away. Those who are comfortable on expert runs will like this area a lot on a powder day.

Laura, fog, and a lot of snow in Hellroaring Basin..

The whole Hellroaring Basin and the chairlift alway close on April 1st to protect the local grizzly bear population and let them have their peace. Obeying the closure is a good idea unless you first want to get clawed by a big, ugly bear and then get fined by big, even uglier Flathead National Forest ranger.

Click here for Hellroaring Basin trail map.

Conclusion

Summa summarum: There are many ways people feel about the recent development of Whitefish. In the end its still not the most megalomaniac resort with thousands of condos, but it’s not the mom-and-pop ski area either. With the lift ticket prices still reasonable and a medium-sized resort town and ski area you can still feel like you’re in the mountains instead of Disneyland. The crowds aren’t as bad either. Whitefish might have lost some of its local charm in the last years, but the fact that the skiing is great along with the views from the top of the mountain can not be ignored.

via homeboyski.com

We have been quiet for the Christmas holidays and taking it easy with our families, relatives and friends. However, when you are relaxed all kind of new ideas and things just suddenly pop into your mind. So, stay tuned for some pretty cool stuff coming in the upcoming weeks, e.g. an interview of probably one of the best telemarkers in the world, Joonas Karhumaa. But before that some new ski test content.

 

We have been enjoying a really great early winter here in Finland. There is, finally after many years, some proper cold temperatures and even plenty of snow here in Southern Finland. Personally, I have taken the opportunity to hone my telemark skills and in an unusual way started the ski season with plenty of “just” turns – instead of the usual icy slamming in the local parks (I am already 36 and have to admit that those icy landings haven’t been so tempting  when there is some extra rare soft, quality turns to be had!).

Also, while I have been quite pleased with my current park skis (read the Salomon 1080 CR Lab review for more information), I have been looking for some more versatility to my alpine “park” skis too. This meaning that as I am getting  older and more cautious I am no longer hitting the icy stuff and need a ski that can be cruised comfortably on the groomers too when needed.

In my opinion the problem with the center mounted park skis is the lack of versatility that comes with the park/jib optimized stance. While you can somehow get used to the long ski tail and centered binding location, it still doesn’t feel like it should be for an old schooler like me. On the other hand you can by some real carvers and be happy with even more skis in the “quiver” (yeah, like I need some more skis, see below. And sorry about the crappy mobile phone pictures this time). Anyway, modern twin tips are pretty good all mountain skis after all, so in a way it all comes down to a mounting point: for cruising/all mountain the more “traditional mount” works the best and for jumps and any jibs center mount just rules, even more so if you land and hit stuff switch. 

 

 One solution to the mentioned problem could be the so called rental/demo bindings. But for the expert/advanced skier there comes a trade-off; they are heavy, quite high off the ski and often come with a little bit of “slop”, affecting the feel and touch of the skier.

Enter Marker’s new SchizoFrantic line: low stack, beefy freeride bindings with the ability to move the binding six centimeters along the ski, very clever solution for the skier just like me. And luckily web shop www.suksikauppa.com gave us a test pair of Marker Jester SchizoFrantic bindings for a long time test use. And with the bindings came some pretty cool sticks too: a pair of 179cm K2 Extreme skis. Nice all mountain skis with measurements of 118-85-109mm (tip-middle-tail) and very cool “hot dog” graphics of skiers doing classic daffies, spreads and mule kicks (how cool is that for an old school mogul guy like me? I have to say I have been drooling for this particular ski model for a long time!)

We are planning to give this test pair a good beating on the local mole hills, including some moguls, park jumps, groomers and maybe some pressure boxes/rails too. And I am more than willing to lend the pair for some friend who like to test the combo on some bigger hills too (if I don’t get the opportunity to do that myself). I guess Scandinavian Lapland/Mountains would be quite perfect for the set-up: just change the mounting point for the different use, off-piste, slopes, park.

Stay tune for some test result in the upcoming weeks. We are pretty stoked to take these skis out to the slopes as soon as possible. I will also post some more pics when the binding mount is finished.

Big thanks to Sakke Ekman of www.suksikauppa.com (Finnish) – be sure to check out the different country/national versions of the shop too:

http://www.skidbutiken.com (Sweden)

http://www.skishopen.com (Norway)

http://www.skishoppen.com (Denmark)

http://www.skiwebkauf.com (Germany and Austria)

These shops are specialized for the freeride skis, so you will find plenty of models that doesn’t necessarily belong to the assortment of your local sport shop. The deal includes binding mounting too, if you want to, and there is some great, good-value offers of different binding/ski combinations. We can highly recommend the shop and we have also heard some pretty good feedback on their accuracy of delivery and good service.

via homeboyski.com

Early season pow near left of the Saddle Mountain lift

Lost Trail – no frills, just skiing

There’s basically three main, longer lifts at Lost Trail, Chair 1, Chair 2 and Saddle Mountain Chair, the latter of which despite it’s name does not go up to Saddle Mountain, but rather the one next to it. Chair 1 and Chair 2 access another small peak. Besides of those there are two other chairlifts (serving some easier terrain) and a rope tow that connect the Chair 1 and Saddle Mountain Chair. All of chairlifts are older, fixed grip 2 seat chairlifts. Not that fast, but who cares when there’s not enough crowds to form anything that resembles a lift line anyway.

Lost Trail is not a big mountain, the main lifts serve between 1200 to 1800 feet vertical. But this isn’t supposed to be another Jackson Hole or Chamonix anyway. The small ski area feeling that I like is present, and especially families will feel themselves at home here with the lower ticket prices and plenty of long, blue runs.

The advanced terrain and backcountry at Lost Trail Powder Mountain

For that you probably want to look at Chair 1 and 2. Lookers right side of Chair 1 sports some nice cliffs and short chutes through the woods. Unfortunately for the expert skier, the Saddle Mountain lift accesses mostly flat terrain, with only the very top of the runs being steep, and the lift ride being long. So for quick laps on a powder day we suggest sticking to Chair 1 and 2.

Laura riding powder under empty chairs (Chair 1)

However, if you’re interested in the out-of-bounds options and are properly equipped with avalanche gear and knowledge of the snowpack then the backside of the peak that Saddle Mountain lift goes up to, along with the ridge that connects Chair 1 and Saddle Mountain Chair is worth taking a look at. There are a multitude of options around here if the snow allows it. The only way out though is to skinback to the ski area. There’s a $5 one-way lift ticket offered for those who want to go touring. Fire up that Google Earth and have a look!

Looking down at the out-of-bounds backside of the Saddle Mountain Chair in early season (mid-December),
view is towards Saddle Mountain proper

Terrain Park

I’m not much of a park rider myself at all but I applaud how Lost Trail apparently is making the effort to construct to a good terrain park. During our visit in early season the “Frontcountry” park already had several rails and small features set up even though snow was not that plentiful. Along with that there’s a “Powder Park”, its specialty being natural features, aimed at more beginners . I never got to see either of the parks fully finished during our visit since it was early season but the good condition and the number of rails that had already been put up leads me to think that the park is probably in pretty good shape the whole winter. There’s a seperate park crew that takes care of the park.

In my experience it’s not really often that the small areas really invest into terrain parks, and I think it is a good move for Lost Trail to do so. It attracts some of the younger riders  and shows that the management is not stuck in the 70s. For a glimpse into Lost Trails park scene you can check their seperate site at ltpark.com.

Location

The Lost Trail ski area is located right next to highway 93 at the Montana-Idaho border. The area is approximately 95 miles from Missoula, MT, and 100 miles from Butte, MT. In Idaho the closest bigger town is Salmon, 45 miles from Lost Trail.

Conclusion

Lost Trail might not be a prime ski vacation destination resort, but it is something to keep in mind when you’re in the area or driving by. And if you live within a daytrip range, its definitely worth a visit on a good day. Competition on powder days is not fierce. Park rats will undoubtedly enjoy the options at Lost Trail. For those who only want an easy access to backcountry then the $5 one-ride lift ticket is a nice way to get to the back bowls, skinning up the closed runs when the resort is not open is also a possibility.

Links:

www.losttrail.com
www.ltpark.com

via homeboyski.com

Skipe has no limits, and I am totally cool with that. Imagine if we all were frickin’ boring engineers stuck in our offices (yeah, I am one of those) and never make fun of ourselves. This would be a dead boring world.

Photographer Mikko Lampinen

It’s a pity I don’t get to ski with guys like Skipe too often. I spent many seasons in Chamonix with a bunch of great ski bums, but nowadays I mostly ski with my kids. I’m pretty OK with my decisions, but I gotta say it is so nice to meet my old buddies once a year at the SkiExpo exhibition in Finland. This year we had no time to enjoy a beer with Skipe because he was so damn busy with promotions, but I had a chace to chat with him for a while. Thank God we still have wild guys like Skipe!

14 questions to Skipe Oivo

#1 Homeboy: Dude, how do you spend you summers and winters?

Skipe: Well, I spend my summers at work, mostly in constructions sites. You know, I gotta make some money before winter. I also have lots of injuries, I mean A LOT, so summers are also great time to get better. I don’t travel much during summers because I have my support network (doctors, etc.) in my hometown. Guys like Martti Lakovaara and Risto Ojala have operated me many times, so I rather let them put myself be back in shape instead of traveling around.

2# Homeboy: You know, we have lots of talented and skillful skiers and snowboarders here in Finland. I mean people like Kalle Palander, Tanja Poutiainen, Janne Lahtela, Jarkko Henttonen, and now also Skipe Oivo. How come this kind of world class skiers and riders can come from almost totally flat country like Finland?

Skipe: First of all I should not be even mentioned in the same sentence with these professional athletes, because they are world class and they have done a lot of work to reach their merits, and I am just a hippie skier. I admire them and see them as icons, but I became what I am because I have been damn active and I have always had my burning desire. I would never compare myself with these athletes and their level of expertise.

Photographer Petri Kovalainen, Location Courmayer, Italy

3# Homeboy: Back in the good ol’ 90’s we enjoyed “pocket warm vodka” in northern ski resorts. I remember bartenders dedicating you your own bottle with label “Skipe” under the bar desk. Every time I placed my order I said “two vodkas, one for me and one for Skipe”. Your vodka came always from the dedicated bottle under the desk, because other bottles were stored in fridge.  You still enjoy that stuff?

Skipe: Hehe.. I remember that. Nowadays I prefer Pastis, which is good and cheap. I am no professional athlete or role model, and I do everything with a smile in my face, so I really enjoy toasting drinks some times, especially in good company. I love social lifestyle.

4# Homeboy: Man, I know this a stupid question, but I must ask you this one because you are such a “soul rider”. What is the meaning of life?

Skipe: Go sleep with no worries and wake up with a smile in your face. You can’t always make it, but good buddies help a lot.

5# Homeboy: Well said. May be I should try that. Tell me what else you do in addition to skiing?

Skipe: I love fishing, it’s so great. I also ride a mountain bike, but mainly in Finland. It is actually a very good treatment for my knee injuries. Sometimes I go rock climbing, but the latest thing I have discovered is scuba diving. I can’t say much about it because I have just started, but so far it feels very nice.

6# Homeboy: Only few months ago you signed a deal with K2. Tell us how you ended up riding in K2 Backside Team and how it all happened?

Skipe: Well, I guess the reason why I was picked up is related to my skiing style. I am no educated man, but I have +30 years of experience in active skiing, that is something K2 sees valuable. They take care of my needs and make sure I keep on skiing. They also take into account my lifestyle, and won’t push me to races. I respect that. All in all it is an honor to ski with K2, and I respect our co-operation.

7# Homeboy: Getting the very first sponsor is hard as we know. What would you like to say young dudes looking for their first sponsor?

Skipe: Ski as much as you can. You will be noticed when you are ready, so no need to hunt sponsors. Your skills talk more than any “personal sales pitch”. Anyhow, you can introduce yourself to sponsor candidates, but before that make sure you are a helluva good skier.

Photographer Petri Kovalainen, Location Lyngen, Norway

8# Homeboy: I recently did an interview with Seth Morrison, who is known from sticking double backflips from 60 feet cliffs. What do you think about Seth boy?

Skipe: I love his style. Seth is always so confident which makes his style so great. No matter how high he drops he always lands like a cat. I admire Seth’s ability to utilize different shapes of mountain faces in order to stick totally unexpected flips.

9# Homeboy: Last season you did few turns in Chamonix with the legendary Glen Plake. What kind of dude is this “godfather of freeskiing”?

Skipe: Glen is a helluva nice guy! I really respect his passion, attitude and dedication to the sport, and it is an honor to meet him in person. Glen probably makes good money skiing, but I bet he would do it for free too. He is confident and familiar on all terrain. You can see him ski the same runs with narrow skis while others survive with fat skis.

Talking about ski gear, I see many youngsters complaining in Internet discussion forums that less than 100 mm wide skis don’t work in powder. Come on! Guess what we did 15 years ago? Ski doesn’t make you a good skier, but your attitude and desire. Older generation seems to be technically more confident, so may be younger skiers should ski narrow skis every now and then.

I have also seen guys skiing big mountains with back protection and full face helmets, but without any sense. I am no “Edmund Hillary” but I know my limits and my skills. I believe I’m still alive and kicking because I’ve known when it’s better for me back off.

What I want to say is that proceed step by step. Ski for yourself and don’t take risks only to show off. Be patient.

10# Homeboy: Good points. Are we gonna see you in Chamonix this year?

Skipe: Sure. My flight is scheduled on December 30th, and I will stay until the end of April. I might also join a bunch of guys traveling to Svalbard, but I am not sure yet. Anyhow, I will continue the season in Lyngen right after Chamonix.

11# Homeboy: Are we going to see you skiing 8000 meters mountains just like Fredrik Ericsson?

Skipe: Never! I’ve never been interested in skiing such hard mountains. Why would I ski 8000 meter high mountains while I can get better feelings on 3000 meter mountains? I have no need to take additional risks, so I’m heading to 3000 meters in “good ol’ Chamonix”.

12# Homeboy: You have several skis. Tell us about your “tools”.

Skipe: I use K2 Hellbent (189) in powder, K2 Dark Side (188) in couloirs, K2 SideStash when ski touring and K2 ObSeth (189) and Kung Fujas as all round ski.

Photographer Mikko Lampinen

13# Homeboy: You work much with Finnish ski photographers. Who are your favorite camera men?

Skipe: Mikko Lampinen is like my “royal” photographer. He has shot tons of pictures of me. I also enjoy working with Petri Kovalainen. Working with Tero Repo is an honor, because the dude is a real pro. Co-operation with Tero is so seamless. Days in the mountains go well and we get results.

14# Homeboy: Thanks Skipe for this chat! Before we quit, could you list three words that best describe Skipe Oivo?

Skipe: happy, eternal little boy, inexperienced (there’s still so much to experience out there).

Skipe Oivo according to ski photographer Petri Kovalainen

“I met Skipe in the middle of 1990s when he lived half a season in travel trailer in Lapland, but then flew to Chamonix. Skipe is a true rebel. He is 43 but still in flames every time snow starts falling. He is more experienced than 99% of skiers, but still willing to reach the next level in skiing. Skiing with Skipe is a lot of fun. For years he has been an important evangelist of freeskiing in Finland. Respect!”

In 3 bullets Skipe (according to Petri Kovalainen):
-    is a cornerstone of Finnish freeskiing
-    is Stefa (Skipe’s well known alter ego who becomes alive after few drinks)
-    has spent more time being operated or on surgery bed than random dude on snow

via homeboyski.com

If you happen to spend your Christmas holidays in Switzerland, you really should check the Swiss Christmas Markets. I am not sure how long they keep markets open, but if you miss the Swiss Christmas Markets this year, remember to try next year. There are Christmas Markets at least in Basel, Luzern, Montreux and Zürich. If you are staying in one of Swiss ski resorts such as Zermatt or Andermatt, check if one of these markets are close to your resort. Take a break and head to Swiss Christmas Markets.

Basel Christmas Market

I lived two years in Basel, and if you ask me, one of the highlights of living in Basel is the yearly Christmas market. I’m not into shopping at all, but I really enjoy the Christmas feeling I get when visiting the market. There are lots of stuff for sale, mostly hand-crafted, but I prefer Mulled Wine and various food they offer. If you are interested in Mulled Wine (Glühwine), check www.gluhwein.net.

Basel is a thrilling city unlike any other in Switzerland, where Swiss quality meets a multicultural population in the border region close to France and Germany. About 33% of inhabitants are from other countries. Basel is the third biggest city of Switzerland.

Luzern Christmas Market

I haven’t visited the Christmas market of Luzern, but I have been riding my mountain bike in the surrounding mountains few times. Luzern is a really nice city located by the lake and surrounded by mountains. You could say that Luzern is the essence of Switzerland. Luzern is very close to the Mount Pilatus & Rigi along with the famous ski resort of Engelberg so if you are staying in Engelberg right now, check the Luzern Christmas market today.

Luzern offers a beautiful Christmas Markets set inside the impressive hall of the railway station with 50 wooden chalets and a large Christmas Tree. One of the city’s famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a wooden bridge first built in the 14th century.

Montreux Christmas Market

Montreux is a beautiful city on the shores on Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). Famous for the annual Jazz festival, the Montreux Christmas Market also places this interesting city high on the list for anyone looking for a something different during a ski trip in Switzerland.

Montreux boasts one of the most beautiful walks along the lake, stretching from Villeneuve all the way towards Vevey. The main square of the town, Place du Marché, features a statue of Freddie Mercury facing Lake Geneva. Some of the numerous small villages around Montreux include La Tour-de-Peilz, Clarens, Territet, and Villeneuve. The Chateau of Chillon provides a marvelous view of the entire Lake of Geneva and can be easily accessed via bus, walk or boat.

Zürich Christmas Market

Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland’s main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zürich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe. Zürich is also ranked the sixth most expensive city in the world.

Zurich offers a number of Christmas Markets. The largest being the indoor market inside the railway station with 160 wooden chalets and a 50ft high Christmas Tree.

So those people traveling in Switzerland right now, check out the Christmas Markets Swiss cities offer. It might be a good idea to spend one day in a small Swiss city instead of mountains. If you don’t like the idea, I guess it’s better to stick to your earlier plan of skiing all days of your vacation

Merry Christmas!

via homeboyski.com

Although die hard freeskiers and life-long skibums might luxury skis as crap, there are people interested in such ski gear. Luxury skis have their place in this world, even though most of us prefer riding skis such as Armada JJ or Atomic Bent Chetler. Some prefer rockered skis, some not, while some people find Birdos skis or Praxis Powder boards their dream come true.

Luxury skis are here to stay

If you happen to have money to burn, I recommend supporting Homeboys (just drop any amount to our PayPal account in info@fiercermedia.com) or purchasing skis that help you to show off. I guess Chanel is not as good with skis as they are with perfumes, so most probably their skis won’t be your best choice to the backcountry or race tracks.

Pretty interesting ski wear, btw..

I guess Victoria Beckham is satisfied with her Chanel skis, but I personally would not ski Chanel. Not because of performance, but the name

So, what would be mens luxury ski brand? How about Zai for Bentley? Swiss ski maker Zai has joined with Bentley to produce a new limited edition of designer ski, which is constructed out of a combination of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic, natural rubber, and chrome steel, which are all being used for the first time in a pair of skis.

For me it sounds like James Bond would choose Zai for Bentley.

Igneous Skis in Jackson Hole, Wyoming make custom skis and snowboards that are undeniably gorgeous. What makes these luxury skis different is that they have a real test team riding real slopes. Igneous Skis really puts some efforts on quality, but for some reason this is the first time I even hear about the company. May be it’s difficult to market new skis in such competitive market. Anyhow, Igneous Skis offer several different shapes from carver to straight, and GS and fall line to custom shapes. These guys seem to be a real deal, so gotta say I would definitely like to test ride Igneous skis and snowboards.

Then there is the Dunhill ski – yet another luxury ski model. The Dunhill Skis are available in either teak or carbon fiber finishes with tough titanium bases. Available in two sizes, the $2,100 skis feature Vist bindings, handmade in Italy, which ‘fuse innovation with security. Their sales pitch includes a short section”they look great and seeing as racing specialists, Speciale had a hand in them, they must ride like champs“. Oh yeah, for sure

Now I only need to wait couple of more days for Santa to bring my luxury skis. Then I’ll hit the road with James Bond and Victoria Beckham, but where should we go? To show off with a bunch of fashion freaks in Gstaad in Switzerland, or check the backcountry with guys like Skipe Oivo in Chamonix? I guess you know the answer..

via homeboyski.com

First ten ski movies are all mainly for entertainment, while the last three ones are instructional.

By purchasing Christmas gifts that we promote you also support the development of Homeboy ski blog. We work in co-operation with Amazon, and every time our readers buy something we promote, we get little money that helps us to provide you top notch articles, interviews, gear reviews and road trip reports straight from the battle field. If you get interested in the products, just click the picture and you’ll be redirected to Amazon’s online store.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #1 – Steep

Steep ski movie is awesome as I described in my Steep ski movie review article few months ago. I have watched it several times and I never get bored with it. Check out the sales pitch below with which I agree 100%.

Steep is a mesmerizing documentary in the Warren Miller mold about extreme skiing, but with more emphasis on the drive and psychology of the adrenaline-hooked athletes involved. A number of skiers are captured in archival and original footage braving the odds against surviving runs down astonishingly steep, dangerous slopes. Among the subjects is Bill Briggs, who climbed in 1971 to the top of Grand Teton in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and skied down, an unprecedented effort echoed by Europeans who later did the same thing down the French Alps in Chamonix. Doug Coombs, who twice won the World Extreme Skiing Championship, is also profiled and speaks honestly about the possibility of dying for the sake of living life to the fullest as a thrillseeker.

Written and directed by Mark Obenhaus, a producer for several of the late Peter Jennings’ television news specials, Steep is visually gorgeous, and literally breathtaking whenever a skier is seen barely outracing an avalanche nipping at his heels. Steep attempts, somewhat, to get inside the heads of the pros who do this sort of thing, but it is hard for many of the subjects to articulate what they feel. It’s best just to be knocked out by their deeds and let the fantastic visuals in Steep speak for themselves.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #2 – Journey Through the Decades

In his quest to capture the thrills and spills of alpine skiing and kindred adventure sports, Warren Miller has spanned not only the globe, but the decades. This amazing collection of Warren Miller films is a trip down memory slope, preserving for future generations of winter sports fans the breathtaking scenery and astonishing feats of legendary athletes on the snow and in the air. Offers over 7 hours of nonstop action adventure!

Features of Journey Through the Decades are:

• Journey (2003) – The newest Warren Miller film to arrive on DVD.
• Endless Winter (1995) – Travel around the calendar and around the world as skiers and snowboarders enjoy epic snow conditions from Alaska to Argentina and Jackson Hole to Japan.
• Steep & Deep (1985) – A whirlwind search for freedom in the high country of Canada, Asia, Europe, New Zealand and the good ol’ U.S.A.with cliff jumpers, helicopter skiers, ice climbers, slalom experts and more.
• Ski A La Carte (1978) – Warren Miller began shooting ski films in 1949. By the time he made this film in 1978 he had honed the style that now makes him famous. Ski A La Carte is a terrific nostalgia ride.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #3 – Focused: Ski BASE Europe – Part 1

What does it take to capture 10 seconds of epic action sports footage? Rush HD’s Emmy-nominated series Focused follows the world’s top action sport athletes and their film crews on their global quest for the ultimate image. In this episode, professional skiers JT Holmes and Shane McConkey travel through the mountains of France and Switzerland in search of massive cliffs for the ultimate ski BASE jump.

Shane McConkey passed away last spring while attempting a ski base jump. Read more about Shane McConkey’s death and the story of rocker skis invented by Shane himself.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #4 – NOMADS: Heli-ski Haines, Alaska

Haines Alaska, the wild west of heli-skiing, is the perfect location for this group of athletes to push the limits of their sport. X Games gold medalists Reggie Christ and brother Zach dominate skier X then head straight to Haines Alaska to experience the pinnacle of big mountain skiing. The trip is a long overdue reunion with childhood friend and freeskiing icon Kent Kreitler. Down days ensue and Alaskan rookie, Jamie Pierre joins the team. The mountains are awe inspiring and the action is world class.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #5 – Re: Session

The award winning producers at Teton Gravity Research (TGR) present their newest 16mm and HD film, Re: Session (read our very own Re:Session movie review) This project takes viewers beyond the traditional ski and snowboard movie into a revolutionary realm of action sports entertainment. Shot on both film and RED ONE high definition camera technology, Re: Session documents the true wealth of the mountain experience.

Follow the crew as they score in one of Alagna, Italys deepest seasons on record. Check out forbidden powder in Poland, massive wedges in Colorado, new gap jumps in Utah, and seven weeks of epic riding conditions in Alaska. Re: Session brings the most talented athletes in the sport together into one must-see film. The all-star roster includes TGR regulars Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Seth Morrison (check also our recent Seth Morrison interview), Jeremy Jones, Kye Petersen, Ian McIntosh, Dana Flahr, Dylan Hood, Erik Roner, Wiley Miller, and Dash Longe rounded out with the fresh faces of Tanner Hall, Sammy Carlson and Callum Pettit.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #6 – Believe SKI DVD Tanner Hall

Follow Tanner Hall and crew around the world in his latest ski film, Believe. Watch Tanner, Seth Morrison, Kye Petersen, Sean Pettit, Callum Pettit, Anthony Borownowski, Ian Provo, Dan Treadway, CR Johnson and more as they take skiing to a level unlike anything you ve ever seen before.

Believe takes you from sessions in chest deep blower pow at Mt. Baker to a little cat time in Retallack, British Columbia. The journey continues while picking up major speed through Whistler, B.C., then on to a massive roadside session in Japan as the crew mashes the all time dirtiest pillows in Mica and up North to Haines, Alaska as Seth Morrison throws a 150+ double front flip to stop! Believe is the new standard in ski films, don t get left behind.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #7 – Anomaly DVD Extreme Ski Snowboard

This is one of the top-selling ski/snowboard titles of the 2006-2007 season. It is from Teton Gravity Research– they kill it year after year–their films raise the bar and everyone knows it. This DVD is 60 minutes, but there are over 2 HOURS of bonus footage, over 3 hours in all.

Here is their description of it: ANOMALY: A deviation or, departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule. From leading producer Teton Gravity Research comes a film that departs from the common order of skiing and snowboarding. Anomaly showcases the freakish and abnormal abilities of todays top athletes as they push the boundary of what is humanly possible. Join these athletes as they explore a brave new world of riding in locations around the globe.

Anomaly unfolds as Jeremy Jones continues to touch the void in Alaska, Erik Roner completes his disturbing two-year vision, Jamie Pierre survives a world record 25-story free fall, Seth Morrison and Candide prove why they are at the top of the game, and newcomer Ian MacInstosh opens the doors to the future of big mountain riding. Watch the riders adapt to the dynamic mountain terrain in Japan, Morocco, Jackson Hole, Alaska, Aspen, and British Columbia. Athletes: Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Jeremy Jones, Jeremy Nobis, Chris Collins, Seth Morrison, Jamie Pierre, Victoria Jealouse, Candide Thovex, Kye Petersen, Ian MacIntosh, Erik Roner, Marc Andre Belliveau, Mark Carter, Skogen Sprang Jonas Emery, Dash Longe, Dylan Hood, Peter Olenick, Travis Rice, Micah Black, Shroder Baker, Karina Hollekim, Zach Leach and Byran Iguchi.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #8 – Greg Stump’s Foursome – Greg Stump Box Set

Greg Stump’s Stump 4Some DVD box set showcases the skiing talent of Scot Schmidt, Glen Plake, and others to the backdrop of awesome powder and steeps and truly fantastic soundtrack featuring the music of acclaimed British producer Trevor Horn. It includes the titles Blizzard of Ahh’s, License to Thrill, Groove Requiem: In the Key of Ski, and P-Tex Lies and Duct Tape.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #9 – Yeah Dude Ski DVD – Yeah-Dude

Yeah Dude Ski DVD, created by Poor Boyz Productions shows skiing on a whole new level. The Poor Boyz crew followed the industries top athletes and withstood some of the harshest conditions to produce a great ski DVD. ‘Yeah Dude’ will bring you mind-blowing events from Japan to suburban city streets. Features Andreas H, Chris Benchetler, J.F. Cusson, John Symms, Julien Regnier, Mike Henituk, Sammy Carlson, Tim Durtschi, Anthony Boronowski, Craig Coker, John Spriggs, JP Auclair, Matt Walker, Peter Olenick, Simon Dumont and Tim Russell.

Christmas Presents for Skiers #10 – There’s Something About McConkey

Ten years ago, young renegade ski racer Shane McConkey quit his collegiate team to pursue a career in the small, unglamorous world of freeskiing. Through the ’90s, McConkey battled the odds and the establishment as he put “fun” back in skiing. With an unprecedented manner of attacking mountains and a committed effort to appear ridiculous, McConkey opened the doors to a new way of thinking and skiing. As attention to his feats and antics blossomed, so did the sport around him. They teamed up the raddest skiers of today with the past decade’s most influential skier and biggest idiot. So sit back for a wacky, whirlwind tour through a man, a mind and a sport. You may never look at skiing the same way again.

There are interviews with McConkey, who comes off as the laidback dude one might expect, as well as interviews with his mother and a few friends (one of whom tells a funny story proving that “there’s something wrong with McConkey”). And a few comic interludes, including McConkey’s attempt to star in a music video, pop up. But the real point to this production is the skiing footage, which is uniformly spectacular. McConkey and others (including Olympic champion Jonny Moseley) go rocketing down absurdly steep mountainsides in footage shot from helicopters, and of course they make it all seem so effortless that you can almost forget how insanely dangerous it is.

Shane McConkey is a legend, and this is one of his best ski movies.

Video below is not a trailer for the movie but a great tribute for the biggest icon of the sport ever.

via homeboyski.com

Here are 7 Christmas presents for skiers. Last year’s Christmas presents for skiers were purely ski related, but this year I wanted to provide some new ideas. I recently watched the North Face, and I enjoyed it very much. So I came up with an idea of telling our thousands of readers that “hey, these DVD’s are absolutely worth watching!”.

If you are looking for Christmas presents for skiers, I strongly recommend these movies. All mountain people love watching awesome mountains, such as those in Himalaya.

By purchasing Christmas gifts that we promote you also support the development of Homeboy ski blog. We work in co-operation with Amazon, and every time our readers buy something we promote, we get little money that helps us to provide you top notch articles, interviews, gear reviews and road trip reports straight from the battle field. If you get interested in the products, just click the picture and you’ll be redirected to Amazon’s online store.

Christmas Present Idea for Skiers #1 – Touching the Void

Touching the Void is an awesome story of survival. It is a document of two climbers getting into serious trouble after summiting Siula Grande in Peruvian Andes. Joe Simpson went went through extreme situations after Simon Yates had to cut the rope. No wonder why Touching the Void is on the top of my list of Christmas presents for skiers.

Here’s what they say about the DVD.

In 1985, two British mountaineers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, embarked on a daring–arguably reckless in the extreme–attempt to climb the previously unconquered mountain Siula Grande. A mixture of overconfidence in their own abilities and underestimation of the climb’s difficulties brought them to grief after the successful slog to the summit. What follows is an often harrowing account of their perilous descent.

Based on Joe Simpson’s gripping book, the film boasts glorious widescreen photography of Siula Grande and its notorious glacier. Actors take the place of the two climbers for close-ups, though Simpson did return to Peru in order to reenact parts of his dreadful crawl back down the ice. The story of Simpson’s almost-superhuman fortitude has become legendary in climbing circles, and even for viewers uninterested in mountaineering, Touching the Void is an astonishing slice of real-life drama, magnificently retold.

Christmas Present Idea for Skiers #2 – Messner

In 1978, Reinhold Messner and his climbing partner, Peter Habeler, stunned the world by reaching the summit of Mt. Everest without using bottled oxygen. When asked why he would attempt climbing Everest without oxygen — something that was unimaginable at the time — Messner answered, “I’m doing this for knowing myself. If I put some important technical thing between me and the mountains, I will never have the possibility to know myself, to explore myself.” He returned to Everest two years later and climbed it again without using supplemental oxygen, but this time alone; and he went on to become the first to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks without using oxygen.

In this exclusive documentary, the first on Messner since Werner Herzog’s “Dark Glow of the Mountains” in 1984, he looks back over his career with surprising candor and personal revelation. It is the career of a man who began climbing with his father in the exquisite Italian Dolomites, but whose restless quest for self-knowledge through extreme adventures made him the greatest climber of modern times.

Today Messner today carries on a diversified business related to his mountaineering skills. From 1999 to 2004, he held political office as a Member of the European Parliament for the Italian Green Party (Federazione dei Verdi). He was also among the founders of Mountain Wilderness, an international NGO dedicated to the protection of mountains worldwide.

Christmas Present Idea for Skiers #3 – Everest

Relive a breathtaking journey to the top of the world with Everest, the spectacular giant-screen motion picture for IMAX theatres! Filmed during the infamous 1996 storm that claimed eight lives, Everest documents the filmmakers’ harrowing rescue efforts to help surviving members of the ill-fated group. Join an international team of climbers as they scale the world’s tallest peak. Witness the perils of skin-blistering cold, violent blizzards that drop the windchill to minus 100 degrees, and air so thin it numbs the mind. Everest will take you across creaking icefalls and gaping chasms, up dangerous, towering cliffs and into the death zone of oxygen-thin altitude. Filmed in spellbinding IMAX photography, “the most hyperrealistic format yet invented,” says producer Greg MacGillivray. Narrated by Academy Award(R)-nominee Liam Neeson, including the music of George Harrison, Everest is a rich, dramatic story — a daring adventure of triumph and tragedy.

Sorry, that was the sales pitch, but it pretty well describes what this film is about. If you enjoy watching those huge Himalayan snow covered peaks, check this DVD.

Christmas Present Idea for Skiers #4 – The Alps

In the air above Switzerland, on the sheer rock-and-ice wall known as the Eiger, an American climber is about to embark on the most perilous and meaningful ascent he has ever undertaken: an attempt to scale the legendary mountain that took his renowned fathers life. Against a backdrop of overwhelming natural beauty, The Alps is a true-life story of extraordinary courage. It’s the intensely personal journey of a man who has every reason not to climb the deadly Eiger North Face, yet climb it he must.

I watched The Alps 2-3 weeks ago, and I personally found it very interesting. Eiger is an interesting and scary mountain, and you can really feel it in this DVD. The Alps contains lots and lots of awesome shots and camera angles from extremely exposed places on the north face of the Eiger. Strongly recommended!

Christmas Present Idea for Skiers #5 – North Face

I watched North Face last weekend, and all I can say is that this DVD is worth watching, and it is a great Christmas present for skiers or other mountain men. Ok, I can actually say few words more.. North face is a stunning story of climbing the Eiger during the early days.It is based on true story, and it is perfectly done. On top of excellent camera work you can also see very nice climbing of the early days.

Here’s the pitch.

Journey to a heart-stopping landscape of danger and relive 48 white-knuckle hours that would go down in history. This is the incredible story behind the first ever attempted scaling of the North Face of the infamous Eiger mountain. Summer 1936. Bearing the expectations of a nation and their Fuhrer, two climbers set out to be the first to conquer the last great problem . But soon their ascent becomes a race for survival threatened by injury and extreme storms. Suddenly, it becomes a pulse-pounding race against both time and the awesome forces of nature.

Christmas Present Idea for Skiers #6 – National Geographic – Everest 50 Years on the Mountain

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay made history as the first people to reach the top of Everest. Now, 50 years later, three sons of Everest’s most celebrated climbers return to the mountain to challenge it again. Join their journey as they brave the elements and face death to climb 29,000 feet of wind-blasted rock and ice. And, relive the dramatic history of Everest from great triumphs to deadly tragedies, enduring rivalries and the unsung role of the Sherpa people – as National Geographic exposes the untold stories that lurk in the mountain’s epic shadow and takes you on THE ultimate Everest experience.

Christmas Present Idea for Skiers #7 – The Man Who Skied Down Everest

This incredible, award-winning film features adventurer, poet and world-champion skier Yuichiro Miura as he and his team face the most challenging climb in the world, Mt. Everest. The ascent is fraught with tragedy, the descent miraculous. During the climb, they face an icefall that claims the lives of six of their team, still considered the worst natural disaster accident in Himalayan history.

With a 35mm Panavision film crew in tow, they continue on to the South Col, only 350 meters from the summit, where Miura put his life in the hands of the gods in his descent. Using oxygen and a parachute to slow his speed, Miura skied 7,000 feet over sheer ice and rocks. Unbalanced by the gusting winds, he hit a boulder and fell 1,320 feet, smashing into rocks and ice ridges. A patch of snow was all that saved him, allowing his fall to end just moments away from the Bergshrund Crevasse. This final climax has been called the most exciting six minutes of film ever shot as Miura plummets helplessly down Everest’s unforgiving icy slopes toward certain death.

via homeboyski.com

Please go to Slammer mag website and sign this petition. For those of you who do not read Finnish it is about trying to get a nice little snowy playground here in the city. There is nothing for us snowboarders and skiers, and we are asking the City of Helsinki to support this cause. The more names we have, the more leverage we get. So, if you want to help us out making this happen, please go to address above and sign it, thank you very much.

So, click this link to view the petition Helsinki snowy playground petition.

For those who do not speak Finnish, here are the language essentials in five seconds.

Nimi = name
Ikä = age
Paikkakunta = place of recidence

Lähetä = submit

Thanks heaps for everyone!

Photo by prostophoto

via homeboyski.com