BD's Thomas Hodel, Dan Caruso and Samuel Anthamatten Ski the Longest Line in the Alps
In early June, there's still snow in the High Alps, as BD employees Thomas Hodel and Dan Caruso, and Team rider Samuel Anthamatten set out from Zermatt and found themselves at over 4500m (almost 15,000 feet)on the border of Switzerland and Italy. The East-face of the Monte Rosa, the longest face in the Alps, and the ominous Canalone Marinelli awaited below. Dropping in to 50° steeps and relatively perfect corn-snow conditions on the upper sections, and then the seemingly never-ending 45° perfect couloir, the BD threesome flashed the line on Verdicts in 40 minutes. What a way to end a great ski season!
Derby de la Meije in La Grave... for the 21st time!
The longest and wildest downhill in the world was run for the 21st time under blue skies in La Grave, France on April 3rd. For the 21st time,their were full-on downhillers straight-lining steep mogul fields; as well as a circus atmosphere with crazy costumes and good times. The 2000 meter course begins at the top of the area at 3600m and winds down the famous, ungroomed 'Vallon' run down to the base area. With a mind-blowing time of only 5:29, Nicolas Anthoniaz wins again for the second time. And our favorite bar-tender from L'Edelweiss, Katarina K from Slovakia took 3rd place in the competitive Womens Division. The winners got BD Skis as prizes and a the party went on all weekend long. Viva La Grave!!
The BigLePowSki Goes Off In Davos, Switzerland!
Last weekend in Davos, The BigLePowSki went down at Pischa. Participants met on Friday for a route-planning/map-reading workshop (thanks to the boys from Freeride Maps) and on Saturday, it was game-on with perfect sunny skies for a tour deep into the Pischa backcountry with local guide Walter von Ballmoos, as well as freeride groups spinning laps in the frontcountry. And then later in the evening, Ueli Kestenholz wowed the crowd with Play Gravity, a Speed-riding film. Later, Slam and Howie let loose with their upbeat 'bastard country' sounds til the wee hours of the morning. Sunday brought white-out conditions and more fresh snow, so The Dude went shredding on the Megawatts!!! Thanx to all for coming out and having fun with us at Pischa...
The BigLePowSki USA goes off Big in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah!
The First Annual Big LePowSki USA was held in the legendary Wasatch Mountains of Utah on February 26-28, 2009. A weekend-long ski bonanza, the Big LePowSki USA was blessed with perfect early-spring snow, tons of prizes, booked-out clinics and blowout parties.
The weekend began on Thursday night with the Winter Wildlands Alliance's Backcountry Film Festival at Brewvies—an evening of backcountry skiing films and beer that got everyone ramped up for skiing on Saturday.
Friday night participants flocked to the Black Diamond Store to register for their on-snow clinics and mingle with pro skiers such as Chris Davenport, Andrew McLean, Jenn Berg, Brett Crabtree and others who would be hosting the clinics.
Saturday brought clear skies and spring-skiing conditions at Brighton Resort up Big Cottonwood Canyon for the on-snow clinics. Both skiers and athletes had a fantastic day of dropping cliffs, throwing 360's, riding rails, skiing steep terrain and learning about smart and safe backcountry travel. Others participated in avalanche beacon drills hosted by Liberty Mountain.
Saturday concluded with a party at The Woodshed Bar in Salt Lake City that ran until the wee hours, and the raffle and silent auction raised money for The Billy Poole Fund.
The BigLePowSki Switzerland kicks off this weekend (March 13-15) at Pischa Ski Area in Davos. And the snow is perfect and the sun looks like it wants to return after weeks of storms. Hope to see ya there!!
BD Team Skier Mark Welgos Wins Big In Telluride!
MARK WELGOS WINS 4th ANNUAL SUBARU TELLURIDE FREESKIING OPEN
Challenging conditions and a huge new venue make competitors work for their victories.
Telluride, Colorado, February 7, 2009 – On one of the highest peaks ever to host a freeskiing competition, Mark Welgos and Claudia Bouvier overcame tough conditions to win the 4th Annual Subaru Telluride Freeskiing World Tour Qualifier. They each blasted off Palmyra Peak, the 13,320-foot apex of Telluride, down cliff-riddled, 45-plus-degree steeps, enduring fierce winds and iffy visibility.
Their victories capped the first ever competition held on Palmyra Peak. Helicopters were supposed to deliver contestants atop Palmyra’s sky scratching, rocky pyramid. But increasing gusts grounded the bird, forcing many to hike 90 minutes up Palmyra’s oxygen-scarce, knife-edge ridge. Conditions limited the 15 female competitors and 35 males to one run each. Without much chance to rest or to scope lines, skiers busted fewer airs than normal, opting instead to ski fast and aggressive down Palmyra’s massive, alpine apron.
The winners, however, still put plenty of air beneath their boards, especially the men. Fifth place finisher Michael Gardner popped a big air mid-slope, earning a big score for choice of line. Lars Chickering-Ayers, who came in fourth, wowed the several hundred spectators with a pioneering new line with a double jump. Telluride local Chason Russell, who finished third, milked several hucks out of familiar terrain, blasting from far skiers right to left to do so, earning the day’s loudest ovation. Second place finisher Arne Backstrom, of Squaw Valley, California, qualified for the rest of the tour with a bold fluid run. And Welgos, of Aspen, earned not just victory with 72.88 points but also the coveted Sickbird award—given to the skier who puts in the most spirited, most extraordinary competition run--for hurling off Palmyra’s many cliffs. He edged Backstrom by .69 points
Opening Day At La Grave!
The Teléphérique La Grave La Meije (TGM)opened their doors to an excited crowd of off-piste skiers last Saturday morning, December 20th. After record pre-season snowfalls, the massive mountain was in perfect condition under the sunny skies and mild winds. The upper sections of the Vallon area was chock full of smooth and carvable wind-affected 'pool table' snow, while the lower mountain featured settled and soft powder in the trees.
With over 2000 vertical meters (almost 7000 feet)of difference between the valley and the top station, La Grave is known as one of the biggest and most challenging ski areas on the planet. The rustic and relaxed atmosphere of the small village, and the incredible food at the various restaurants, makes it an inviting destination for skiers. BD's Test Center is up and running at the Hotel Edelweiss and the steep and glaciated slopes of La Meije are all white and skiable. La Grave is located about an hour from Grenoble, France.
www.la-grave.com
Europe Is Going Off!
The first two weeks of December 2008 may very become a time of lore in the European ski scene. The low-pressure sytem named 'Tini' proved to be anything but tiny. Record snowfall and epic ski conditions prevail all over the Alps. Andermatt is sitting on a base more than triple of normal for this time of year, and in Davos, there are fatter pillows than at a Brady Bunch slumber party. Especially on the south-side of the Alps, areas like St. Moritz and most of Italy, have even more snow. From France, throughout Switzerland and into Austria...it's on!
It's Winter Again!
After a long hot summer, it's time to start thinking about skiing, because winter has returned. Utah got a huge early dump and Snowbird opened last week, with the earliest opening in 37 years! The early season storms hammered Europe from the South, making for awesome conditions in La Grave, Verbier, St. Moritz and other areas that benefit from Southern swells. Now it's turned, and the next wave is coming straight out of the Atlantic from the NorthWest. This weekend looks good for Northerly areas like Davos and the Arlberg. See you on the mountain soon!
Black Diamond and La Grave Become Partners!
Black Diamond has just signed an exclusive 3-year deal with TGM (Telepherique des Glacier de la Meije), the ski-area in La Grave, France. La Grave is known in the ski world as one of the (if not 'the') most challenging ski areas in the world. From super-steep couloirs, to hanging glacier, to endless tree runs; La Grave is a ski paradise for expert powder-hounds. "La Grave is just such a wild and extreme place to ski, and it just embodies our freeride skiing products." says Thomas Hodel, Black Diamond's European Marketing Manager, "This partnership just makes perfect sense!"
BD Skis and Boots a Hit at Mondial du Ski!
The season opener at Les2Alpes in the French Alps last weekend ( Oct. 25-27) was the perfect start to winter. Up on the glacier at 3200m, the sun was shining, the skies were blue, the snow was fresh. The Mondial du Ski attracted hundreds of ski-testers. Black Diamond was on the scene with skis and boots was definately a crowd-favorite. From 9am, when the gates opened, all of the BD products were on the slopes and there was a waiting line to try the skis and boots throughout the day. Pro Team skiers Xavier Leonti and Ptor Spricenieks were on hand and Black D (as they French fondly refer to us) is now a player in France.