Westbound Boarder

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.

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

Well, Shaun White and Kelly Clark stuck it again in today’s US Snowboarding Grand Prix in Park City.  Shaun saw a near perfect score of 49.5 (out of 50), with Scotty Lago trailing just behind with a 48, and Luke Mitrini coming in third.  Today marks Shaun’s fourth first place finish (out of 5) in all Grand Prix Olympic qualifying events.  But then again, Park City was just practice for Shaun, as he was already confirmed as an Olympic team member after last round.  Scotty has now had two second place finishes and one third, so he will likely be invited to join the US Olympic team a well, alongside Shaun.  Danny Davis, the one competitor to beat out Shaun (in Mammoth), and formerly a likely Olympic teammate as well, unfortunately broke his back during an ATV accident last Sunday.  He underwent surgery Monday and is now being cared for in a local hospital, alongside Kevin Pearce.  Danny is an awesome rider – one of my personal faves – so it is unfortunate to hear he won’t be joining the team in Vancouver this year.

On the women’s side, Kelly came in first (again), followed by Hannah Teter and Kaitlyn Farrington.  Kelly, in comparison to the other riders, is absolutely going bigger, which is putting her in prime position to land some of the tougher spins and tricks that you need more time in the air to solidify.  She has been doing awesome through the thick of it all, so I’m excited to see what she’ll pull in Vancouver next month.  I also really like Hannah’s riding because she always throws down a smooth, solid run that’s fun to watch, and, minus a few small flubs, I think she really stuck it in Park City.

For the women, it is pretty obvious who will be going to Vancouver, and who will be watching from the sidelines.  For the men, however, there is some stiff competition, so it will be interesting to see how the last two spots play out.

Results, Day 1 (Friday)

Men
1. Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA, 49.00
2. Scotty Lago, Seabrook, NH, 47.70
3. Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 46.70
4. Elijah Teter, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 44.00
5. Luke Mitrani, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 44.00
6. Louie Vito, Sandy, UT, 43.30
7. JJ Thomas, Golden, CO, 43.00
8. Danny Kass, Portand, OR, 42.70
9. Steve Fisher, Breckenridge, CO, 42.00
10. Dylan Bidez, Minturn, CO, 41.30

Women
1. Kelly Clark, Mt. Snow, VT, 45.20
2. Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT, 44.80
3. Ellery Hollingsworth, Stratton, VT, 43.60
4. Gretchen Bleiler, Aspen, CO, 42.50
5. Elena Hight, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 40.00
6. Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID, 39.20
7. Maddy Schaffrick, Steamboat Springs, CO, 31.40
8. Kelly Marren, Hillsborough, CA, 29.40
9. Clair Bidez, Minturn, CO, 19.30

Results, Day 2 (Saturday)

Men
1. Shaun White 49.5
2. Scotty Lago 48
3. Luke Mitrani 45.3
4. Gregory Bretz 44.8
5. JJ Thomas 44.2
6. Jack Mitrani 42.3
7. Dylan Bidez 42.1
8. Steve Fisher 40.6
9. Zach Black 38.5
10. Broc Waring 38.2
11. Danny Kass 37.5
12. Andy Finch 36.7

Women
1. Kelly Clark 47.40
2. Hannah Teter 43.90
3. Kaitlyn Farrington 41.00
4. Madeline Schaffrick 36.50
5. Elena Hight 36.20