All divisions of the Volcom JLA Banked Slalom at California’s Mammoth Mountain tomorrow, February 23, 2013, is completely full, so all there’s left to do now (if you didn’t pre register) is to head to Mammoth and watch the amazing event celebrating the too-short life of Mammoth local Jeff Anderson in person. Then again, maybe thee is a wait list for people who don’t show up. If there is, get on it!
[Link: Volcom]
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Squaw Valley via Google Maps.
The Google has reportedly added maps of 38 resorts to their Google Maps app, according to a post on ABC News.
Now you can find your way to never-ending mogul fun on the Mad Wolf run at Montana’s Big Sky Resort, or navigate to Vermont’s Stowe Mountain Resort’s freestyle terrain parks for shredding bliss. . . Other popular ski resorts on the app include Aspen and Vail in Colorado, Sun Valley in Idaho, Squaw Valley and Mammoth Mountain in California, and Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont.
At this rate soon we won’t even have to take our brains with us when we go outside. And that’s some good news.
[Link: ABC News]
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The lifts aren’t running at June Mountain Resort this winter, but that doesn’t mean snowboarders can’t ride the untracked terrain. The US Forest Service has just lifted access restrictions to the resort, according to a story in the Inyo Register.
Residents and visitors were given the greenlight this week to enjoy backcountry skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing in and around June Mountain Ski Area for the rest of the winter season. . . Restrictions prohibiting such winter activities on national forest lands within the ski area boundaries have been lifted, now that the Forest Service and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area finalized an operations plan for June Mountain. . . The Forest Service still urges extreme caution in some areas due to avalanche danger.
This is great news for split board crew who know where all the secret slots are. And we’re guessing that roof drop might be kind of fun (since no one is looking).
[Link: Inyo Register]
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Think Stratton Mountain would be left lonely and pouty by the Burton US Open of Snowboarding moving west to Vail after all those years? Nope. They’re keeping the open scene rolling with the Vermont Open March 15-17, 2013.
The VTO will be a 3 day event with a festival atmosphere and a tribute to the pioneer days & spirit of snowboarding and the epic events that shaped an industry. This is a chance to actually ride and compete in retro style venues and events against Legends like Ross Powers and many more! Come for the weekend and ride with Legends, Pros, Amateurs, Washed Up Pros and long lost friends, hear some great music, go to some great parties, even try some old school equipment. Keep the spirit alive!!
A weekend entry costs $135 and includes three days of lift tickets, entry to all the venues, contests (rail jam, Halfpipe), and official parties.
[Link: Stratton Mountain]
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Burton is continuing their efforts to get kids started young with their Riglet Park program. Parents can drop their kids off in the morning and pick up a snowboarder later in the day. Kids in the Tahoe region have had the amazing Star Wars park at Sierra at Tahoe for going on two seasons and now east coast kids are getting their own twist on the program with a new Toy Story park at Jay Peak.
“Burton is stoked to partner with Jay Peak to bring Disney·Pixar Toy Story-themed elements and products to our newest Burton Riglet Park,” said Jeff Boliba, VP of Global Resorts, Burton Snowboards. “The park will add a new level of entertainment to snowboarding by immersing budding snowboarders into the world of Disney·Pixar’s Toy Story, where fun and adventure is the name of the game. It’s a must-see destination for families and kids who want to learn how to snowboard this winter.”
The Riglet Learning system costs $99 a day and is the best way to get kids aged 3-6 out snowboarding. For a list of all the features and a breakdown of why parents need to get their kids to Jay Peak, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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In what may turn out to be the biggest news of an already big day, Powdr Corp, the owners of Woodward Camps, Outside TV, Park City, Killington, Copper Mountain, Mt. Bachelor and nearly every other winter resort not owned by Vail Resorts announced today that they have hired Dew Tour founder Wade Martin (formerly of Alli Sports) as president of their newly created “media, events, sponsorship and entertainment” division Powdr Enterprises.
“Over the last 20 years we have built a unique and valuable collection of resorts, action sports camps and a niche television network. The creation of Powdr Enterprises will help us leverage the network we’ve built and strengthen all of our brands into the future,” said John Cumming, chief executive officer of Powdr. “As a well-respected, visionary leader and entrepreneur, Wade is the perfect person to lead Powdr Enterprises. He has an unparalleled track record of successfully creating and leveraging events, media and sponsorships to turn companies into powerhouse brands.”
Don’t want to have to spell this out, but this is huge, huge news. As the balance of power in action sports has moved away from the media to event and content owners, this new division could seriously disrupt a few old, tired business models. Will be interesting to see where Martin takes this. For the official word, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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On February 2, 2013 Rossland BC Canada’s Red Mountain Resort will host Shred The Love a benefit for Boarding for Breast Cancer sponsored by The North Face.
The event is an inclusive ski and ride day where Red Mountain Resort will donate 50 per cent of its day ticket revenue to help raise funds for several of B4BC’s initiatives, including scholarships through the Survivorship Fund to ReTreat Yourself, a yoga, ski and snowboard retreat for women who have been affected by breast cancer.
The highlight of the evening, according to organizers is a concert by Allen Stone. For all the official details, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
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The New York Times’ John Branch breaks down the February 19, 2012 avalanche near Steven’s Pass, Washington. Three skiers died in the slide. Now, according to Gawker.com, it has become “the most intensively covered avalanche in the modern history of journalism.” This NYT piece may be one of the best online multi-media story presentations we’ve ever seen. Click the link and you’ll see what we mean.
[Link: New York Times]
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The New York Times looks into the issue of global warming and the future of the snow resort business. If some scientists are correct the entire business could look quite different in 78 years (not that we’d care all that much at that point.)
Under certain warming forecasts, more than half of the 103 ski resorts in the Northeast will not be able to maintain a 100-day season by 2039, according to a study to be published next year by Daniel Scott, director of the Interdisciplinary Center on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.. . . In the Rockies, where early conditions have also been spotty, average winter temperatures are expected to rise as much as 7 degrees by the end of the century. Park City, Utah, could lose all of its snowpack by then. In Aspen, Colo., the snowpack could be confined to the top quarter of the mountain. So far this season, several ski resorts in Colorado have been forced to push back their opening dates.
Guess by that time the kids will have to move indoors to some refrigerated slopes. Or, maybe the Republicans are right and by then we’ll be entering the next ice age. Who do you believe?
[Link: New York Times]
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Vail Resorts, Inc., the big box of the snow resort industry, is apparently doing so well with their Colorado and California resorts that they are reaching out to grab two resorts in the midwest, according to a story on Sports One Source.
Vail Resorts, Inc. has entered into agreements to purchase two premier urban ski areas in the Midwest, Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mount Brighton in Michigan, for total cash consideration of $20 million. Both ski areas serve major snow sports markets in the Midwest with more than 468,000 active skiers and snowboarders in the nearby Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit metropolitan areas.
These two resorts will be added to Vail’s resort portfolio which already includes: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood. To big to fail, right?
[Link: Sports One Source]
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