Westbound Boarder

A couple of weeks ago, we made our way down to Sundance Resort just about 15 minutes outside of Orem, UT. We have always wanted to check this place out for a number of reasons, but on top of this list is the fact that we hear that this place is a ghost town on Sundays and it sounded like the perfect escape from the hustle of Park City Mountain Resort (where we call home during the snowboard season). As Sundance is located just outside a heavily dominated LDS community, not many neighbors to this ski resort make the trek on Sundays. So we thought, why not? And the rumors were true.

Granted it was opening weekend and the snow pack was less than I want to admit (the Wasatch mountains in Utah have been bone dry this season ). Despite the low snow pack, we had an excellent time at this quaint and scenic resort. We had the place to ourselves, enjoyed some fast groomers and scratched another local Utah resort off of our list. We look forward to getting back to Sundance in the thick of the season when we can really get to know this place a little better and see all the terrain the resort has to offer.

Sundance is is smaller than some of the more well known Park City resorts, but there are far less people and has a super chill vibe. The chair lifts are also older and slower, but it fits the slow pace and chill vibe of the resort. Check out our photos, we had a blast and will definately be back to Sundance Resort when the snow starts falling (fingers crossed).

While visiting family in Texas I got an opportunity to snowboard the high, Rocky Mountains of New Mexico, the United States southernmost ski area. After a very long and scenic drive from El-Paso (4 hours) we arrived in the small town of Ruidoso with Ski Apache just a few miles up this long, insanely narrow road.

Ski Apache!

Ski Apace offers 55 runs and 11 lifts along including a gondola. During the couple days we visited, there was only one chance to ride the gondola due to inclement weather conditions, but it was worth the wait. Once at the top (11,500 ft ) there is the most breathtaking view of White Sands in the distance, which is arguably one of the most peaceful places on the planet with miles of blinding white sand dunes making up the world’s largest dunefield.

Windy roads up to Ski Apache

Bluebird day

On our way down from the gondola, a local pointed us in the direction of a tree run which happened to have some feathery light snow stashes. I was ecstatic. Once at the bottom, the gondola had already closed but luckily there was so much more resort to take in. We took chair #4 up and cut over to the bone yard terrain park. With one insane line this park was more progressive then I expected. For example, the first feature had a picnic table set up on top of a jump to either gap or get creative with, followed by some down, flat, up boxes and C rails. They also had a rainbow custom made box with a peace sign graphic, which I thought was cool. We lapped the park a bit that day and with the variety of terrain and over 750 skiable acres that still needed exploring, I looked forward to our next visit.

An ad with Mt. Hood Meadows in the background!

Increase the peace

The next time we rode, met up with some local shred kids. They were kind enough to let us tag along, so we spent the whole day following them around the hill. We got super stoked on how stoked they were on shredding. I informed them of snowboard magazines these kids had no idea existed and year round hill at our home mountain, Hood. They informed me of the Apache culture and where to eat in Ruidoso. After a full day on the hill, I checked out the snowboard shop and posted on the wall was a picture of a girl skiing at Mt Hood Meadows!

The people of Ski Apache were a very diverse and fascinating group, ranging from Mescalero Apache Indian, military personnel (yes, they actually rode in their army attire), to your everyday tourist folk. Understanding the Ski Apache culture is important so it’s a good idea to visit the ski shop and grab one of their pamphlets on the history of the tribe and the details of acceptable social etiquette among their people.  So remember; if you ever visit this place, don’t stare or make direct eye contact. They’re not affectionate people, so be sensitive to the signals they give you. This stems from their hostile history and daily confrontations with desert and mountains, droughts and flash floods, extreme heat or cold, as well as marginal food supply and potential enemy raids. By adapting to these challenges, the early Apache developed a unique culture that permitted maximum mobility with a minimum of personal belongings. So embrace it during your visit to Ski Apache.

Everything from snowboarding with diverse people, to New Mexico powder stashes, to treacherously narrow roads, to the interesting park set up, will makes my lines at ski apache ones I will cherish for life.

Perfectly poised in South Lake Tahoe, Heavenly Ski Resort deserves the title it boasts. I know it is cliché, but this place is truly heavenly. Sprawled across the California/Nevada border this resort has epic shredding and almost even more epic night life (casinos included) and the view from the top says it all. Overlooking the 22 mile lake and the Casinos of South Lake Tahoe, this place is where the shred scene meets the night life.

With over a foot of fresh and mostly clear skies, our Weekend shred sesh in Tahoe was absolutely perfect. Up early on Saturday to ensure fresh tracks, we met up at the bottom of the Gondola and were on our way. We were lucky enough to have a couple of tour guides to show us the best spots on the hill to ride, which means we have some sweet tracks to tell you about. As Heavenly has over 4,800 acres, sprawled over 3,500 vertical feet, this place is massive and the tour guides were a treat and not to bad to look at, either (just sayin).

We were at the top of the Gondola ready to begin our day at about 9am and the first thing we noticed was how empty the place seemed, there was no one on the lifts or the runs. Apparently with the casino night life and the fact that the bars that don’t close, people generally get a later start at Heavenly, which is fine by me.

You know you are shreddin a rad hill when the theme of the day is, “that was the best run of the day!!!” No joke, after every run we took, we had a new fav and could not imagine it getting any better. But it always did. We spent the first part of our day charging any and every tree run we could find around the Olympic Chair lift, which was a perfect way to warm up. From Olympic we headed over and Conquered Mott and Killebrew Canyon’s, which boast amazing views of the rain shadowed Nevada side at the boundary of the resort. We worked our way over to Sky Express and hiked around to find an unscathed canyon and then moved on to the hands down, best run of the day….

The abundance of sick tree riding covered in cornices didn’t hurt the Heavenly vibe. There were drops around every corner and the trees were perfectly spaced, enabling you to charge through them full force. With that, it is all about the North Bowl at Heavenly. With two old school, slow, triple chair lifts, you won’t find too many people in these parts as they don’t want to put up with the lift; but it is more than worth it. Make your way over to north bowl and find The Burn and Nevada Woods. Talk about unscathed, fresh pow, tree runs, with perfect drops and pitch. These are the runs you dream about and were without a doubt the best run of the day…until we made our way over to Maggie’s Canyon on our way to lunch.

We ate lunch at the only full-service dining experience on the Heavenly Mountain, The Gunbarrel Grill at the Lakeview Lodge. This place features Napa Valley-influenced California cuisine and an array of select meats, cheeses, grilled vegetables and a gourmet salad bar. The Gunbarrel Grill offers wonderful entrée selections at great prices, (for the mountain anyways) as each entrée at about $20.

We wrapped up day one on the hill with a park session at the small park underneath the Groove Chairlift (which is just up the hill from the Gunbarrel Grill).

To my surprise, the more I bragged about Heavenly, the more I heard people talking smack. The complaints were predictable, that this place is so big and I found myself traversing all day. Guess that is what happens when you stick to the groomers all ? I guess with any mountain you don’t know, this can be your first visit experience. However if you make a plan (or stick to our tips from above)…I am sure you won’t be on this bandwagon. This weekend to Heavenly was one of my top five ride sessions for sure. So don’t overlook it if you are planning a trip to Tahoe. Also, the night life is legit, so there is totally something for everyone!

Check back soon for our South Lake Tahoe night life review!

Finding a good sports bra is a common problem for most women who snowboard, because you want good support, but you also don’t want anything too tight and restrictive while shredding your local slopes. I used to be very loyal to Target-brand sports bras (I think the actual brand was Champion) because they were basic, comfy, and cost-effective, but I have since changed my preference slightly, because they can sometime hurt my shoulders if I wear them too long.

Last year I discovered Old Navy’s sports bras and workout gear. To be quite honest, I don’t really shop at Old Navy, but I popped in one day last summer and really like their new work out line. I bought two of their sports bras and they are fab – they have thin straps so they don’t get in the way, they are cute (and you can buy matching workout shorts), and they are supportive enough to ride in. Best part? They are affordable ($16.50, but you can usually find them on sale). I say, two thumbs up!

Just last summer, as I was shredding through the backcountry of Cerro Catedral in Argentina, I was 99 percent certain I was going to quit real life and add a new job title to my roster – “snowboard bum.”  But it seems that life had a bigger plan for me, and that plan was called “The Real World.” 

You may recall my announcement last year that I decided to leave LA (temporarily, of course. Now I’m back) and move to Washington, DC to get my MBA degree at The George Washington University.  It was somewhat a spontaneous decision, but I was ready to move on with my career, and I also saw this as the perfect opportunity to move to the East Coast for a bit. 

As a grad. student, my free time slowly began to shrink, and as a result, so did the time I had to dedicate to Westbound Boarder.  Living in DC, there really aren’t a lot of places to go snowboarding (well, places that don’t require a 4+ hour drive and overnight stay, anyway) and there isn’t any form of action sports scene.  Couple that with the sheer amount of time I gave away to homework, studying, and extracurricular activities, I simply just wasn’t motivated to blog anymore.  Its hard to blog about a scene that’s not really there (heck, the only legit thing I’d be able to blog about in DC is politics, or school which I’ve already done).  I miss it, and I miss snowboarding and surfing, too.  But now that I’m back in LA and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins once again, with just the thought of picking up my surfboard and heading down to the nearest wave.         

I’ve done a whole lot of reflecting this past year, especially this summer now that I’m back in a 9 to 5 job (ugh).  I love working, but I also love snowboarding, and I’ve finally started to ask myself, can I ever have both?  Or will I eventually have to let “The Real World” get the best of me and settle down? 

The more I think about it, the more I think that it is possible to have the best of both worlds.  But with one exception.  I have to learn to make compromises.  I have to learn to accept the fact that I’ll only ever get to take one big snowboard trip, maybe two, per year with my measly two-weeks vacation.  I’ll have to live with long-line, weekend riding only.  I’ll have to pick and choose which events and competitions I want to go watch and blog about.  And I have to make snowboarding and traveling a priority every minute I’m not behind a desk.  On the plus side, I’ll finally start having money to travel to and snowboard at the places I’ve always been wanting to go, like France, Turkey, and Japan (yay!)  I’ll be able to stay at nice hotels with fancy hot tubs (hot tubs we don’t sneak into, anyway).  And I’ll be able to watch my kids (one day!!) stand up on their first snowboard and eventually turn into little rippers. 

So that’s my thought on life.  I know we’d all like to quit life and become snowboard bums.  But for most people, that just ain’t in the cards.  I know the saying, “You only have one life to live, so live it,” but I also know the feeling of “Oh $#!& I’m broke!” or “now what?”  While the time we all spend on the hill creates priceless memories, let’s not discount the time we spend in the office, too.  I know I’m going to start looking at things in a different light from here on out, and accept reality, while also knowing that it is possible to “have my cake and eat it too.”

Many of you have probably heard by now that earlier week, the Internal Olympic Committee (IOC) cast a vote to finally make slopestyle an Olympic snowboarding and skiing event (Read the news in ESPN or Transworld Business).  Though the news was quickly overshadowed by the IOC’s final vote to award the 2018 Winter Olympic bid to South Korea (which is huge news, in and of itself, as this is the first time South Korea will host an Olympic games), slopestyle will first appear in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.  This was actually discussed a while back, but the vote was tabled, as the IOC needed to first make sure that Sochi has the capability to build an Olympic slopestyle course.    

Its no secret that the snowboard community somewhat butts heads with the IOC and FIS Olympic governing bodies, primarily because in the past, they have seen the sport of snowboarding as a mere extension to skiing, and in recent years, an up-in-coming money maker, especially among young viewers.  But despite the past differences between the two groups, from what I’ve read and heard from others, the snowboard community welcomes the IOC’s decision to add slopestyle to the roster of Olympic snowboard and ski events.  Many people (myself included) see slopestyle as one of the best ways for riders to really showcase their talent in the sport.  First of all, slopestyle is much more accessable to young riders than, say, halfpipe or bordercross, because most resorts at least have some sort of triple air terrain park available for the duration of the season.  Halfpipes and boardercross courses, on the otherhand, require much more work to build and a particular type of weather, so many resorts abandon the idea completely.  Second, slopestyle is one of the oldest competition types around, and definitely the most-well known and versatile. 

Anyway, I for one, am thrilled to see slopestyle finally become part of the Olympics.  This decision was long overdue.  Slopestyle is the primary event I focused on as a young competitor, so I may be a bit partial, but I truly think it is the best way for snowboarders to show their true talent. 

2010 has come and (almost) gone (Happy New Year’s Eve!) and looking back on the ups and downs, there is one Shredolution that Danielle and I set out to accomplish last year and far surpassed – visit at least 2 new snowboard resorts in 2010.  In 2010 alone, we visited more than 25 resorts between the two of us, so we sat down to rank our favorites.  It was a rather difficult thing to do, considering we liked each and every resort for very different reasons, but after debating for a few hours, we finally narrowed down our favorites in order of ranking.  Our list is below!

1. Vail: The best thing about Vail is that it literally has everything. How is that possible? This resort is MASSIVE (well over 5,000 ski-able acres!!!). They have a great ski/snowboard school, tons of groomers, over 30 lifts granting access to bowls, chutes, back-country, tree runs and more. They even have multiple terrain parks for each and every skill level with almost too many features to hit. It is all of this versatility that makes Vail our number one resort to visit, as there is something for everyone!  Insider Tip: One thing is also for sure, if you can handle the double blacks, head directly back to Blue Sky Basin. Be sure to give yourself time to get back there as it is quite the treck, but is is soooooo worth it. (Learn More)
2. Mammoth: It is big, versatile and has something for everyone. (Learn more)
3. Heavenly: If your idea of a fun day riding is shredding groomers until you can’t shred no more or hanging at the local dive bar after a long day of riding, then Heavenly is most certainly not the resort for you.  If you have always longed for Vegas to build a mountain-themed casino, on the other hand, then Heavenly may be just your style.  Heavenly is a super fun resort, but only if you take the time to travel off the beaten path.  While the groomers and parks are nothing to brag about, Heavenly has some of the best tree runs around; a perfect place to ride if you love shredding neverending pow and exploring interesting places.  But let’s not forget the nightlife – unlike most mountain resorts, Heavenly is one of the few that sits right on a landmine of Vegas-style Casinos.  It’s the perfect resort to take a trip to if not everyone in your group has their sights set on riding.
4. Cerro Cathedral: After a long, snowy winter riding, what more could you ask for?  More snowboarding, of course!  Cerro Cathedral, located in Bariloche, Argentina, is the place to go if you want to experience both killer riding and the fun, local Argentinian culture.  Their backcountry terrain is unreal, and there is so much to explore beyond groomed runs.  And the best part?  Their season runs during our summer, so you can literally snowboard all year round if you are so inclined.
5. Breckenridge: If there’s one word we could pick to describe Breckenridge, it would be, well, awesome?  Breck has some of the best terrain parks, and even some great terrain (if you can manage to move yourself outside their parks).  One of the coolest things about Breck, though, is that everyone on the “who’s who of snowboarding” list rides here, has ridden here, or plans to ride here later this season.  You can literally sit at the top of the park for hours and just watch people ride through – it seems as if everyone who rides at Breck is pro! (Or maybe just everyone who is pro rides at Breck?)  Combined with a laid-back atmosphere, high profile events and fun nightlife, Breck offers the complete package. (Learn more)
6. Snowbird: A Steep, deep, powder hounds heaven. Snowbird is not a place for the beginner, as there is not really any easy way down the hill. My favorite part of this resort? They don’t waste away Utah’s, ‘best snow on earth,’ with the dreaded groomers. Snowbird has everlasting powder and a one-of-a-kind tunnel that takes you through the mountain on a conveyor belt to the backside of the mountain, a must see when you visit Snowbird. Insider Tip: the Snowbird Tram increases the price of your lift ticket, but does not give you access to additional terrain (assuming the other lifts taking you to the top are open). Not too exciting so save your extra cash and just buy the day pass sans Tram access.
7. Alyeska: Located in Alaska only 30 minutes from Anchorage, this resort is mellow, full of light fluffy powder and has literally the hands down best view from the top of a resort. A real package deal, and with lift tickets only running $60 bucks, it is budget friendly, too.
8. Mt. High: It may be small, and the snow may slightly resemble a small, flowing creek anytime past noon, but this resort’s got character.  Located only 45 minutes to an hour outside of LA, Mt. High is LA’s hidden gem.  It’s often overshadowed by Big Bear, but IMHO, this resort knocks Bear out of the park – it’s closer, it’s mostly straight highway driving (unlike the windy road to Bear that can take 2 hours or more to get down), and its terrain parks are just as good, if not better.  And the best part?  If you so desire, you could ride hard in the morning and still be on the beaches by 1.  Now that’s the life! (Learn more)
9. Timberline: Located at our home base Mt. Hood, Timberline will always hold a special place in our hearts. Compared to it’s direct competitor, Mt. Hood meadows, Timberline boasts INCREDIBLE terrain parks, virtually no lift lines and it is open all year (yes, even all summer). A must visit on your trip to Hood, especially on the weekends when Mt. Hood Meadows has the long lift line fever.
10. Solitude: This is one of the most underrated resorts we have been too. As Utah is packed full of top rated resorts (over 11 within an hour of the SLC airport), Solitude does not have the street cred. it deserves. With versatile terrain including tree runs, amazing steeps, powder stashes and natural cliff drops, Solitude really has something for all riders (yes, they even have the groomers). On top of the excellent terrain, Solitude has a laid back vibe and nearly no lift lines.

For more “Best of 2010″ posts, check out The Top 10 Easy Tricks to Learn Before 2010 Ends and Top 10 Safety Tips to Remember.

While we all love heading up to the mountain, charging the jumps, and dropping cliffs, it is always important to keep safety top of mind.  Continuing on with our “Best of 2010″ series, below are some of the top safety tips to remember before you gear up.

1. Wear a helmet. It may not look as cool as your newest knit hat, but its the best way to stay safe on the hill.
2. Call your drop. Meaning, when you’re in the park and you’re about to drop in, just yell “drop.”  Or, if you want people to know its your turn next, yell “drop next” – its safe and efficient!
3. Have a plan. If you’re riding with a group, have a meeting place, and if you’re dropping blind features, take some time to study the area before you charge.
4. Don’t stop where you’re not visible. Ie, don’t stop under a cliff, a drop, a jump, etc.  If someone lands on you, its your own dang fault.
5. The person ahead has the right of way; avoid them.
6. Know how to detect an avalanche. Start by taking a backcountry safety course if you’re riding out of bounds, and always carry your avalanche gear if you do plan on doing so.
7. Observe signs and warnings. They have those big orange signs posted on the mountain for a reason – make sure to read them!
8. Know your limits, and don’t overdo it. If you’ve never attempted a backside 3, don’t try it over a 65 foot table.  Similarly, if you feel like your riding out of control down a crowded groomer, take some time and slow down.  Both you and everyone else around you will thank you.
9. Don’t ski out of bounds (or if you must, make sure you have a buddy and proper backcountry gear including a shovel, probe and beacon).
10. Don’t try the new tricks you just saw Louie Vito perform in the Olympics. There’s a reason they’re called “professionals.”

I know that sometimes safety sounds like fun and games, but with more than five snowboard-related deaths occurring this past December alone, its pretty serious stuff.  Read it, remember it, and always practice safety first.

For more “Best of 2010″ posts, check out The Top 10 Easy Tricks to Learn Before 2010 Ends.

This Saturday, we’ll ring in the New Year… but we still have four days to go until 2010 rolls downhill!  And to help send the two big 0′s out in style, we’ve put together the Westbound Boarder “Best Of” series – the “Best Of” 2010.  From snowboard tricks to, well, mustaches, our end of the year 2010 “Best Of” series is the product of careful contemplation, personal experience, hours of arguments and coin flips, and many Starbucks coffees.  But we’ve finally narrowed 2010′s “Best Of’s” into a few compact lists, which we’ll diligently share with you over the next couple of days.  2010, we’ll miss you, but hey, at least you’ll be remembered in style!

New Years is only four days away, which means you only have four days to master these tricks. These tricks are they perfect tricks to master in order to really progress in the park. Once you get these down, though, you’re sure to head into the new year trying feeling confident and willing to try even more.

1. Ollie: You really can’t go any further until you master the ollie.  As the core of all jumps, drops and rails the ollie is the bread and butter of your trick progression. To execute the ollie, you simply go off a kicker, lift and thrust your front foot, and let the rest of your body follow.
2. Indie Grab: Once you have the ollie down on your jumps, you’re finally ready to move on to bigger and better things – enter, the “grab” (hey, gotta start somewhere!)  The indie (aka, where your trailing hand grabs right between your feet, on the front side of your board where your toes are pointing) is the easiest for most people to get right off the bat because it is the most natural.
3. Roast Beef Grab: Partly because this trick looks kinda cool, and partly because we just really like the name, we just had to add it to the top of the list.  A roast beef, where you grab the back of your board between your heels with you trailing hand, is another easy trick to try, and it is sure to impress onlookers.
4. Back Side Board Slide: Almost easier than 50/50ing a rail (in my opinion), the back side boardslide, where your board is perpendicular to a rail with your toes pointing downhill, is one of the easiest rail tricks to learn.
5. Half Cab: For many, the half cab (or in other words, a switch 180) is the easiest spin to start out with because you have the security of landing regular, instead of landing goofy.  The tricky part is making sure you have your board planted and correctly aligned before you go over the jump, because you’ll be riding goofy which can feel just a little bit awkward.  Remember to start small!
6. Tail Grab: This is my personal favorite grab, because it just feels fun and natural, and once you get the gist you can go bigger and tweak your grab and add some fun style to it.
7. Shifty: Shiftys are great tricks because there are so many ways a rider can interpret it.  You simply go off a jump, shift your body any way you like.  One popular shift is a 90 degree turn in the air and then rotate back and land.
8. Method: One of the oldest grabs in the trick book, the method grab, where you bend your feet backward and grab the back of your board in between your heels, always looks smooth and solid.
9. Allyoup: Allyoups (ie, a 180 off an uphill kicker) are so fun, and they are easy!  The first step is to find a nice kicker that shoots you up, and then you just naturally turn into place.
10. Cliff Drops: It is what it sounds… find a nice cliff (a small one!) and ride over it.  You can never go wrong with a cliff drop.

Once you have these 10 tricks down, you’ll be able to start doing them over larger tables while getting bigger air, and soon you’ll be doing 3′s, 5′s and 7′s in no time.  But you gotta start somewhere!

Thanks for reading!  Check back tomorrow for another “Best of 2010″ article – the Top 10 Safety Rules to Remember.

Riding backcountry is one of the most rewarding experiences a rider can ever partake in, however, it is also one of the most dangerous.  In order to prepare to effectively (and safely) face backcountry terrain, I’d highly recommend starting out by taking a backcountry safety course.  In fact, we just got word that Brighton Resort in Utah will be offering a backcountry 101 avalanche awareness course in 2 weeks!  Details below.  In the meantime, we’ll keep our eye out for more backcountry awareness course options and share them on Westbound Boarder, because safety should always be first priority.

What? Brighton 101 Avalanche Awareness Course
Presented by: Brighton Patrol and the Utah Avalanche Center
Additional Details: This 10-hour course is designed for resort “sidecountry users.”  Topics include using UAC forecasts, hazard assessment, safe travel and terrain recognition, “side country” use, snowpack observation and partner rescue.
Dates: Jan. 13 at 5pm, and Jan. 14 at 10am
Cost: $40.00
Must Have: Advanced-Intermediate riding skills, beacon, shovel, probe, and lift ticket
For More Info: Contact Brandon Dodge at dodgerrow@hotmail.com

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