///GUIDE: How To Backflip on a Snowboard - Snowboarding Tricks

///NEWS: Alpine Skiing - Vonn cautious about Sochi Olympics participation

Olympic downhill champion Lindsey Vonn cast doubt on Wednesday on whether she will be ready to compete at the Sochi Winter Games after reinjuring her surgically repaired right knee.

Speaking for the first time since her training run crash on November 19, Vonn told the Today Show she was "feeling good" but cautioned that she will not know if she can be fit for the Sochi Olympics, which begin in less than three months, until she gets back on snow.


"I've been doing rehab and I've been progressing every day, but in the next couple of days I'm going to start getting on snow here at Vail and see how it feels and hopefully get a couple of days of training before I head up to Canada," Vonn told the Today Show's Matt Lauer during an interview from Vail, Colorado. "If things go well, I'll be racing next week.


"If they don't, then I'm going to have to reassess and kind of see where I stand and if I can make a comeback for this season."


Certainly racing next weekend in Lake Louise would be ideal for Vonn. The venue is considered one of the tamer courses on the World Cup circuit and a venue she has dominated having collected 14 career wins at the picturesque Alberta resort.


"I'm feeling good from rehab. I feel stable. I put some weight on it yesterday as far as doing some weighted balance exercises and doing some squats and things like that, and it felt really good, so I'm very hopeful, but, like I said, I really don't know until I get on snow," said Vonn.


The 29-year-old American tore ligaments in her right knee last February in a crash racing super-G at the Alpine skiing world championships in Schladming, Austria.


She partially tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and suffered a mild strain to the same knee in a downhill training fall at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain in preparation for races this weekend at Beaver Creek.


"I just need to feel stable when I'm on my skis," said Vonn. "It's one thing to feel stable while you're doing squats, it's another thing to feel stable while you're actually racing at 90 miles an hour.


"There definitely is a long ways to go there, but I'm confident that it's going to be OK. At this point, that's all I can do - is stay positive.


"I'm kind of out of options at this point."


The Sochi Olympics run from February 7-23.

///GUIDE: How To Backflip On Skis

///HELMET: SMITH Variant helmet

Classical snow helmet from Smith. Its low-profile fit without a brim makes it easy to put your goggles up on your helmet and the adjustable Helmet Fit system lets you dial in a custom fit every time.

- X-Static Performance Lining

- 22 Vents

- Snapfit Ear Pads

- Removable Goggle Lock

- Hybrid Shell Construction

- AirEvac 2 Ventilation

- Adjustable Helmet Fit System

- Low-Profile Dual Regulator Adjustable Climate Control

- CERTIFICATION: ASTM F 2040, CE EN 1077:2007 CLASS B

- Color: Black Red

///SKIS: FISCHER RC4 Worldcup SC Pro Racetrack + bindings RC4 Z 13 Racetrack (New)

Professional ski with aggressive, fast line: featuring perfect geometry for awesome power transfer in short and medium turns.

- RC4 Z 13 Racetrack bindings DIN: 4 - 13

- Sidecut: 122-68-103

- Radius/SL: 13m/165cm

///BOOTS: Atomic Hawx 90 Ski Boots - Men's - 2012/2013

Focused on fun, the Atomic Hawx 90 ski boots carve fast turns and leave your feet with enough comfort at the end of the day to truly enjoy the apres-ski festivities.

• Bi-component shell features specialized flex zones that complement the natural motion of your foot 
• Located between the first and second buckle, these zones feature soft plastic that boosts control, eases turns and enhances balance 
• Liners feature differing materials on the left and right; firm material helps you feel the terrain on inside of turn and soft material cushions recovery 
• Liners feature cushioning insoles and very warm, soft interiors to enhance comfort 
• Custom-moldable liners mold to ankles and forefeet to increase heel hold 
• Toe boxes reduce hot spots and increase comfort with 4-way stretch 
• 35mm powerstraps act as a fifth buckle 
• Grip plates use dual-density material to increase traction on slippery terrain 
• Flex index of 90 offers the comfortable performance preferred by intermediate skiers 
• The Atomic Hawx 90 ski boots feature 100mm footbeds to provide a good mix of comfort and performance

///NEWS: Going Into The Mind

First in an exclusive four-part series, Sherpas Cinema goes behind the scenes of the 'Creative Seggy,' the Calgary urban shoot with Auclair and Wallisch


Following the viral acclaim of J.P. Auclair’s award-winning urban segment from Sherpas Cinema’s , the Sherpas returned to the streets for a new urban iteration in their latest release, Into The Mind. Sherpas Co-Director and Cinematographer Dave Mossop details the laborious two-week shoot in the streets of Calgary, detailing the personalities of Auclair and Tom Wallisch while on site and how they used a “golf cart on steroids” to get the shot with a Cineflex. This is the first installment of a four-part exclusive series with Sherpas Cinema appearing on PowderTV every two weeks.


You can purchase Into The Mind in the iTunes Store.


Edit credits:

Directors: Dave Mossop and J.P. Auclair

Production Manager: Momme Halbe

Location Manager: Lazlo Uhrik

Producer: Malcolm Sangster

Lights: Dave and Tim

Still Photography: Steve Dutcheshen

MVP Shovelers: 403 Media

Music: by “Cars and Trains”, and “Justice”

Behind the Scenes footage By: Kallum Ko, 403 Media, Mossop, Halbe.

///NEWS: Taking Turns With The Dune Skier - Escaping a life of hardship in East Germany, Henrik May finds his peace skiing sand dunes in Namibia

Sylvian Saudan, the father of extreme skiing, once said, “Skiers that can ski the stones can ski any type of snow.” Henrik May never heard that quote, but he still made a life of skiing the stones—albeit the much, much smaller stones.

For over a decade, the German-born May has been pioneering the sport of sand skiing in Namibia’s picturesque Namib Desert, home to some of the largest dunes in the world and thousands of miles from the nearest snow. His company, Ski Namibia, is one of the very few dune ski-specific operations in the world.

“It’s similar to deep snow skiing but you don’t sink as much,” explains May. “Sand skiing is still in the beginning stages, but I think the concept could become a fantastic ski attraction.”

May started his touring company in 2003 after discovering that the dunes near his parents’ compound outside of Swakopmund, Namibia were ripe for downhill sliding. Since then, May has logged over 5,000 ski descents. He broke the Guinness sand skiing speed record, and in many ways, he introduced “Wustenskisport,” or dune skiing, to the Internet and the world. Nowadays the German expat attracts clients from around the globe looking to enjoy their summer months in one of the most exotic ski locations on Earth.

“I love to try new things and…was itching to try and ski on sand,” says Thilo Wilhelm, a German engineer living in Reno, Nevada who recently connected with May via e-mail. “It’s obvious that [May] is a total enthusiast about sand skiing. The business aspect of what he is doing comes second.”

May is unequivocally a skier first. The 37-year-old was born into a divided Germany, growing up in East Germany’s Thuringian Forest, and skiing by age four. Along with his brother Christian, May competed in Nordic Combined with his local ski team for ten years before taking a job as a police officer.

When the Wall fell in 1989, the Mays were one of many East German families that celebrated the chance for a new life. But after five years of struggling to make ends meet, the family was running out of money and options. May’s father, Dieter, had seen a TV report about German families living in Africa and decided to take a leap of faith. After one reconnaissance trip, Dieter sent his oldest son to Namibia with 6,000 Deutschmark (about $3,000) and the hopes of starting over.

May and his family settled 7 miles outside of Swakopmund, a city 170 miles west of Namibia’s capital Windhoek that is known as the “Jewel of the Namib Desert” They opened a bed and breakfast for European tourists complete with African bungalows, campsites, and a dinner bar and began to settle into their new life.

May credits the start of his dune skiing career to a pair of visiting tourists. The couple lent him a pair of old HEAD skis to try in the sand formations near the property. It worked better than anticipated and May started to shred the sand whenever he could. Not long after, a Dutch couple asked if he could take them out dune skiing and the young man realized he had more than a hobby—he had a business opportunity.

Through the local rumor mill, May stumbled upon an old Frenchman’s cache of ski equipment down in Swakopmund. According to May, the Frenchman had wanted to promote dune skiing (a sport dating back to the early 1920s) but had never found proper footing. May bought the lot of rusty equipment for what he describes as “a very high price” and, after restoring the skis to working order with the waxing and tuning skills he acquired as a young Nordic athlete, he took his first clients—an Austrian couple—into the Namib Desert. Ski Namibia was born.

Today May leads downhill skiers, telemarkers, and cross-country skiers from North America, Europe, and Australia on guided tours of the coastal desert. Runs are usually between 200 to 400 vertical feet with climbs around 20 minutes (May will shuttle your gear upon request).

The landscape for May’s Ski Namibia is a true anamoly, as the Namib Desert stays cool and pleasant due to a wind vacuum that draws cold air from the Antarctic-born ocean current known as the Bunguela Current. The desert also has a dynamic dune structure that shifts with the ocean winds, making for fresh ski landscapes on a weekly basis. That same wind wipes out tracks overnight, rendering May’s operation virtually footprint-less.

Beyond the tour, a Ski Namibia package includes equipment, clinic, refreshments (read: beer), and transportation to the dunes in May’s desert jeep for 100 Euros a day from late June through November.

May’s successful attempt at the sand skiing world record (57.2 miles per hour over 100 meters) in 2010 helped publicize his unique operation, as did a 2011 visit by NBC’s “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” (though NBC wouldn’t let Lauer and May ski together). Still, Ski Namibia remains relatively unknown on the world ski map.

The Namib dune skier has even published a book (an English version is also in the works) and competed in snow races like the Inferno-Rennen Mueren in the Swiss Alps last winter in hopes of attracting the eye of winter sports companies who may be willing to make sand ski equipment—the next step in the sport’s development according to the Ski Namibia founder. May has already developed and uses a technology for faster sliding sand skis, he just hasn’t found the means to take it to market without a corporate budget.

But while May continues to struggle with the industry, he is happy to promote his sport as an athlete—skiing over 15 miles a day across the shifting dunes in his adopted homeland. May has found his second coming sliding on sand 5,000 miles south of where he learned to slide on snow.

For the rare few that have experienced its splendor and the rest of us filled with an inexplicable wanderlust by the dune skier’s tale, May leaves us with a moment of zen sure to stoke our adventurous fire and maybe inspire an impromptu trip to southern Africa:

Imagine a sunny afternoon with a small breeze from the blue Atlantic in the distance. In front of my ski tips, mountains of untouched sand. Suddenly I feel like I’m back in my homeland, and I fly down into the open desert.

///NEWS: Saving the Thompson Divide - Drilling threatens Colorado backcountry ski haven

In the Central Rockies, just south of Carbondale, Colorado, lie 220,000 acres of rugged land known as the Thompson Divide. Punctuated by peaks and canyons, river valleys, dense glades, and wide meadows, the Divide is an endless playground for the skiers, climbers, and mountain bikers who explore its many trails and slopes in any season. Come winter, locals will spend their days skiing the Divide’s backcountry, whether they’re hiking to a stash of steep, deep glades a hundred yards off the end of an old road or skinning up the homegrown ski hill, Sunlight Mountain, which is surrounded by quality backcountry routes on all sides.

Beyond the endless skiing and recreation, the Divide is a stronghold for traditional ranching and it is the source of more than 15 watersheds. The wilderness is rich in heritage and natural resources. It is also a target for oil and gas giants who want to access natural gas deposits deep beneath the trails and trees.

It’s a familiar story by now—big gas and oil companies threaten pristine land, while impassioned locals and nature-lovers fight to save it. Extensive horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing would create air, water, and noise pollution. Roads would have to be built, which would disrupt the natural habitat of wild animal populations and disturb the isolation so many recreationalists seek in the Divide. Drilling poses such a big threat to the Divide that it’s triggered a strong opposition movement. Opponents have risen up with a mission to keep the Divide just as it is.

Currently, 105,000 acres in the Divide are at risk for drilling. In 2003-2004, the Bush administration sold 61 ten-year mineral leases to oil and gas companies, giving them the right to drill within the Divide. The federal government sold the leases without National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act review, nor public notification. Now, after strong public protest, certain leases have been suspended, which means they won’t expire, but they also won’t move forward, allowing for proper environmental reviews.

While wild and well loved, the Thompson Divide isn’t completely pristine. Small scars left by old mines and an abandoned railroad line mark the local communities’ past utilization of the land. For generations, ranchers have taken their herds into the divide to graze during the summer, and the Divide’s watersheds support over 8,000 acres of cropland. The Divide’s wealth of resources and recreation supports some 300 jobs and brings in an estimated $30 million in revenue annually, according to research done by the Thompson Divide Coalition. Recreation alone supports 138 jobs, including Darren Broome’s, co-owner of Aloha Mountain Cyclery in Carbondale.

“A lot of us are transplants here. And we are transplants because we look for these areas to live that give us a certain lifestyle, an athletic lifestyle,” says Broome. “You’re constantly looking for that area where you can live and have access to good amenities, but then you can get away from it all at the same time…the Thompson Divide really gives us this little safe haven of nature.”

Broome moved to the area eight years ago, and came to know and love the Divide through mountain biking, ski touring, and hiking, among other activities. He, like the majority of the town’s residents, has both an economic and emotional stake in the land. “There are multiple facets of it that are scary to us. That’s why we’re so protective of it,” says Broome. “It’s not over yet, it’s going to keep happening. But it’s definitely not something this town is going to roll over for.”

As the potential for drilling and its negative environmental and economic effects became public knowledge, a group of stakeholders who live in the nearby towns of Carbondale and Glenwood formed the Thompson Divide Coalition, whose mission is to save the Divide by protecting the land from drilling now and in the future. “It really started at the kitchen table of ranchers and outfitters and other folks here and evolved into what it is today,” says Executive Director Zane Kessler, a native of Colorado who was brought in for his legislative expertise and experience.

Instead of heading straight to the courtroom, the Coalition is using a market-based solution, offering to buy back the leases from the individual leaseholders. A similar approach protected the Hoback Basin in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana, and the Coalition hopes to repeat that success. Thanks to widespread public support and a strong campaign, the Coalition received huge grants from the Environment Foundation and Aspen/Snowmass, among other companies. Furthermore, Colorado Senator Michael Bennett introduced the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act, which aims to give the Coalition the congressional authority they need to purchase existing leases for conservation purposes and withdraw the land from future leasing.

Despite their strong opposition to drilling the Divide, the Coalition takes a moderate stance on drilling itself, acknowledging their own—and the entire developed world’s—dependency on it. Rather than demonize the industry, they instead emphasize that this land is poorly suited for the undertaking. It is wild and hard to access in many areas, and only represents one percent of the land currently leased in Colorado for drilling. Meanwhile, 99 percent of the Divide is utilized for recreation, sporting, and agriculture.

“You drive in, and there are hunters, fisherman, woodcutters, cattle operators. What you realize is that this is the people’s place,” says local rancher Jock Jacober, who, at 66, has lived in the area for nearly 20 years. Earlier that week, Jacober hunted in the Divide with his sons and rode through the highlands. Once the snow falls, he’ll start up his daily “sunset cruises,” leaving his house late in the afternoon to ski tour until past dark. A Colorado native, he’s been backcountry skiing since the ’70s. “People can just go out with their Labrador and ski around in the woods, and there’s always a trail someone’s broken in there,” says Jacober. “Its real uniqueness is its accessibility. You just go out your back door.”

With November around the corner, locals are getting in their last fall-colored bike rides before first dustings turn into early-season snowpacks. Meanwhile, the Coalition, which is already negotiating with nearly all of the leaseholders, continues to raise money to help fund the buybacks. Though no deals have been made, the Coalition is hopeful. With environmental reviews under way on the suspended leases, many companies may opt to sell rather than risk losing their right to drill without compensation. However, despite the positive outlook, nothing is completely certain—apart from the changing seasons. As soon as enough snow falls, locals will swap out bikes for skins and skis and head out the back door to their own secret stash.

///GUIDE: How to wax skis or snowboard

///GOGGLES: SMITH I/OX gogglesMaritime Camp

///BINDINGS: MARKER LORD S.P. Bindings (New)

///GUIDE: How to 360 on Skis - a Ski Addiction video tutorial

///GUIDE: How to 360, 540 and 720 Frontside or Backside (goofy riders) from Snowboard Addiction.

///GUIDE: Beginner Ski Lesson

///NEWS: Tom Warnick: 1991-2013

POWDER is sad to report that skier Tom Warnick passed away from unknown circumstances. Warnick, who turned 22 in October, was a member of Stept Productions and filmed annually with the Boulder-based production house. Warnick had a hand in producing and filming for Stept’s films including The Eighty-Six and Weight, both which were nominated for Movie of the Year at the annual POWDER Awards.


Warnick was best known for his wild antics both on and off hill, and an immaculate style that made him a celebrated, albeit underground, skier in the forums and video section of Newschoolers.com.


“We all have our place, we are a family” said professional skier Clayton Vila in a phone interview. “He had a real huge part in our group of friends. I would never turn down an opportunity to hang out with Tom. He was so entertaining. He was our comic relief, and an early inspiration to all of us as skiers. He was the most naturally talented skier I’ve ever known.”


Warnick was originally from Maryland and grew up skiing at Wisp alongside Tom Wallisch. He and Vila were also good friends, having skied together at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire since the age of 13. Upon graduation, the two moved to Colorado to study at CU Boulder and pursue life as professional skiers.


“This is a hard day,” says Vila. “We loved that kid a lot.”


The Stept crew is gathered in Boulder, Colorado. Over the phone, professional skier Sean Jordan weighed in on the loss of Warnick.


“Tom was the most energized person to have around,” says Jordan. “He may not have made the best decisions, but he was a great friend to many people in this industry. Today, skiing lost someone really important. Tom was a big part of skiing for a lot of people.”


On his Facebook wall, many skiers paid their condolences to Warnick and his family, including Wallisch.


“RIP my brotha. Can’t even believe you’re gone. So many amazing memories and fun times. The days back in Deep Creek with the whole crew will never be forgotten. One of the most fun and energetic kids I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Shred in peace buddy. Thanks for all the good times.” —Tom Wallisch


POWDER sends our condolences to the family and friends of Tom Warnick.

///GUIDE: How to FRONTSIDE 180 on a Snowboard - Snowboarding Tricks

///GUIDE: How to Butter on a Snowboard - Snowboarding Tricks

///GUIDE: How to JUMP on a Snowboard - Snowboarding Tricks

///SKIS: Vökl Two (New)

///VIDEO: DC freestyle snowboard team

///SNOWBOARD: FORUM BURTON Custom Flying V

- Season: 2013/2014

- The Channel

- Bend: Camber

- Shape: Directional

- Flex pattern: Twin

- Core: Super Fly II™ with Dualzone™ EGD™

- Laminate:NEW 45° Carbon Highlights 

- Base: Sintered WFO

- Extras: Squeezebox, Frostbite Edges, Pro-Tip™, Infinite Ride™, Progressively Wider Waist Widths

BURTON Custom - A leaner, meaner evolution of the most trusted board ever. Since 1995, innovation has defined the Custom series. Now snowboarding’s one-board answer to all terrain adds Carbon Highlights to the mix for drastic weight-savings, crisper pop and, synthesized with Squeezebox, deluxe handling to pilot through the mountain’s mixed bag. Camber is the top choice for pros like Nicolas Müller and Mikkel Bang, while Flying V™ combines camber’s power with the relaxed feel and float of rocker for the best of both.

Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buscXvhTAuc

///SKIS: NORDICA Badmind

DESCRIPTION

The BADMIND is super easy to handle and has the perfect flex to rip the park, pipe and anywhere you want to go. Very light in design for easy control in the air.

SPECS

SKI ONLY
SIDECUT: 120-84-109 (SIZE:163;170;177)
SIDECUT: 116-82-105 (SIZE:149;156)
CONSTRUCTION: ENERGY CA

///NEWS: Vacuum Fit

WHAT IS VACUUM FIT?

The technology which makes it possible for the first time to adapt the shell of the ski boot completely to the anatomy of any foot. VACU-PLAST material and a special process achieves a fit which is also used successfully by top athletes in the Alpine Ski World Cup.

A special Fischer High-Tech Polymer is used for the Fischer VACUUM boots.It was developed exclusively for the ski boot sector and stands out through superior material properties: thermoformable at 80°C, high temperature stability, lower weight and better vibration dampening.

///BINDINGS: Good Marker Griffon Bindings

///SKIS: NORDICA Ace of Spades

///VIDEO: GoPro HD: Avalanche Cliff Jump with Matthias Giraud

///OTHER: Freestyle skiing it is awesome

Freestyle skiing it is best sport for man, who want get a andrenaline...

///VIDEO: Tom Wallisch - Mind your manners

///VIDEO: Beauty of skiing. A feelgood edit.