by The Editors on November 24, 2010
by The Editors on November 24, 2010
Sierra-At-Tahoe gave snowboarders a little early season taste of deep, deep Sierra snow with a sneak opening on Tuesday, November 23, 2010. The resort had been buried in nearly nine feet of snow in the past seven days and resort General Manger John Rice (pictured right) could not have been happier.
“Up until last week, I wasn’t really sure how this season would go,” he said Tuesday morning. “We don’t have snow making so our business depends on the weather. But how about nine feet of snow the week before Thanksgiving? That will do, huh?”
Sierra’s lift crew fired up a few of the lower lifts (Nob Hill and Easy Rider) at little after 10 AM, but saved the Grandview chair (and the top of the mountain) for a surprise 12:30 opening. That’s when everyone got to float (or boat) through nine feet of fresh snow.
With no base layer in the trees it was absolutely bottomless (we know, we looked in several different spots). Upper Dynamite was technically closed but that didn’t stop anyone from exploiting the terrain. It was first tracks and snow-spackled smiles all around. We heard rumors that Abe and Elijah Teter were out getting some, but they we way too stealthy for us, unfortunately. It would have been fun to run a few with them.
This morning (Wednesday, November 24, 2010) Sierra is reporting clear skies, 7 degree temperatures, and an entire mountain of perfect, mid-winter snow. Damn.
[Link: Sierra-At-Tahoe]
by The Editors on November 24, 2010
Denver, Colorado based private equity fund KSL Capital Partners announced yesterday that they had acquired virtually all the assets of the Squaw Valley Development Company from the Cushing family for a undisclosed amount. The Cushing’s have run Squaw Valley since founder Alex Cushing opened the resort in 1949.
“It’s with a respectful eye for the past that I say this news is part of a new era in Squaw Valley’s incredible history,” said Andy Wirth, Squaw’s new President and CEO. “KSL is dedicated to further enhancing the resort and the guest experience by committing over $50 million in additional capital improvements over the next 3-5 years. The KSL team, all of whom are skiers and riders, are thrilled to be the new owners of Squaw Valley and are excited about the resort’s future.”
KSL currently owns several warmer climate resorts like La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, California or Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, but the Squaw Valley purchase marks their first expedition into the winter resort business. This is not to say they have no experience. After years at Vail Associates, KSL’s Managing Directors Mike Shannon and Eric Resnick certainly know the ski business.
This purchase, along with Vail Resort’s recent operations deal at Northstar-At-Tahoe is kicking the entire Tahoe resort game up a notch. Industry insiders are saying that this is exactly what Squaw needed. “This is going to be a game-changer for sure,” said one resort executive.
We’ve never really liked riding Squaw. Maybe the changes KSL brings will give us a reason try it out again. For a complete list of resort upgrades follow the jump for a “personal letter” from Andy.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on November 22, 2010
An in-bounds avalanche this morning (November 22, 2010) at Colorado’s Wolf Creek Ski Area resulted in the death of the resort’s head of Ski Patrol Scott Kay and closed the resort for the rest of the day. Kay was the father of two boys 6 and 8. He was 41.
According to a release quoted in Westword the avalanche occurred at 7:45 AM while Kay was “working to protect others.”
Wolf Creek’s management and all its employees wish to express our deepest regrets at this loss of a wonderful man and close friend. Our sympathy and condolences go out to his wife and two children. . . To honor him, Wolf Creek will remain closed for the remainder of Monday, November 22, 2010 and, also to honor him, will reopen on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.
Our thoughts are with Kay’s family especially his wife, two boys. Messages are being left on Wolf Creek’s Facebook page.
by The Editors on November 22, 2010
Kevin Bransfield says he’s lucky to be alive after he got caught in a large avalanche last week on Colorado’s Berthoud Pass, according to a story on The Denver Channel.
“I kept sliding and sliding and sliding,” said Bransfield. “I thought I was going to get buried. I thought it was the end of my life.” . . Bransfield said at times, it felt like an eternity, waiting for the slide to stop. “It was large in every direction that I looked. It was all sliding,” he said. . . “All I could see was my board and my feet. All I saw was white the whole time,” said Bransfield. . . Bransfield was buried up to his neck. His dog was safe on the mountain, while his friends called for help.
Luckily, Bransfield was wearing his helmet. According to the story he should make a full recovered from his injuries in about eight weeks.
[Link: The Denver Channel]
by The Editors on November 22, 2010
Outside Magazine has just published a Brad Melekian story titled Last Drop about Andy Irons that has everyone saying, “Whoa, gnarly.”
It is the story that the surf media would not or could not write. It does not include the toxicology reports that everyone is waiting for, but it does discuss some of the darker aspects in the life of the three time world champion.
In Last Drop Melekian quotes industry insiders including Art Brewer, Matt Warshaw, Evan Slater, and others talking about Andy’s troubles with alcohol and other substances. More importantly the story lays out a timeline for Andy’s last few days alive and talks about what could have killed him.
Despite Irons’s history of substance abuse and reports of illness, one can only speculate about what killed him, and it may be that a tragic combination of, say, dengue fever and prescription drugs did him in. Irons had been bouncing around time zones, had gone without sleep, had been drinking in Miami, and, at least according to his wife, was ill on the inbound flight to Dallas. . . Dr. Bruce Goldberger, director of toxicology at the University of Florida medical school, says combinations like this can be dangerous. “The usual doses of Ambien and Xanax are very safe, even when taken together,” he says. “But if there was an underlying medical condition like pneumonia or sleep apnea, the person would be at greater risk. Sometimes, we see deaths with perfectly healthy people when they take a small amount more of the medication than prescribed.”
Hopefully, we’ll all know more as when the reports are released.
[Link: Outside Magazine]
by The Editors on November 22, 2010
by The Editors on November 22, 2010
Source Interlink announced today that they have moved four of their off-road motorcycle properties (Dirt Rider, ATV Rider, MiniMoto and EnduroCross) into the loving arms of Action Sports Group’s Publisher Norb Garrett. He seems happy about it.
“Bringing these dynamic titles and events into the ASG/Grind Networks group is another key step in our strategic plan to create the world’s largest action/adventure sports media company,” said ASG/Grind Networks SVP Group Publisher Norb Garrett. “By adding the largest off-road motorcycle title Dirt Rider, ATV Rider, a fast-growing arena motorcycle series such as EnduroCross, and the MiniMoto event, we have added an important piece of our overall content strategy for the Web and TV through both our vertical and horizontal efforts with our action sports portal GrindTV.com and Yahoo! Sports content partnership. Additionally, the brands create exciting new cross-marketing opportunities for our advertisers and marketing partners.”
If anyone can save these properties, it’s Norb. Follow the jump for the rest of the official release.
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by The Editors on November 22, 2010
While on the road with Vice co-founded Shane Smith, Girl Skateboards’ Spike Jonze was “detained” in Yemen until the two could come up with the money to be released, according to a story in the New York Post.
. . . while filming their search for al Qaeda for an MTV investigative series that premieres Dec. 6 — “The Vice Guide to Everything.” They avoided jail and retrieved their footage with an $8,000 political bribe.
Compared to some of the location fees paid for the last Jackass movie $8,000 is pretty cheap.
[Link: NY Post]
by The Editors on November 22, 2010
Yobeat.com, the snowboard site that has been “making fun of snowboarding since 1997” is taking their T-shirts to retail, according to founder Brooke Geery.
“Really, what it’s been about for me all along is having the opportunity to start the best T-shirt company in the world. I have seen so many t-shirt start ups come and go, all been because they didn’t develop consumer base beforehand,” YoBeat founder Brooke Geery said. “We’ve spent nearly 15 years developing a following so that when we finally offered our products to shops, people would want them. It was simple, really.”
That is apparently why this week is “T-shirt Week” on the site.” It’s a dream come true,” Geery said. “If there is one thing the snowboard industry needs more of right now it’s T-shirts, and we’re excited to be able to step in and fill that void.”
Click here to order or follow the jump for all the details. [click to continue…]
Looks like we’ll be reading The Skateboard Mag again now that they’ve jumped on the Zinio digital subscription bandwagon (joining Transworld Skateboarding, Thrasher, and Skateboarder Mag).
