Huge Day for U.S. Skiing as Both Bode and Lindsey Win

Beaver Creek, Colo. (U.S. Ski Team)-Bode Miller took maximum risk, but skied a flawless run to win the Audi Birds of Prey downhill in Beaver Creek, CO, on Dec. 2nd. It was the 33rd Audi FIS Alpine World Cup win of his career with a slim .04 margin over Swiss Beat Feuz. It was also a historic third win for Miller in the Audi Birds of Prey downhill and his first at Beaver Creek since 2006 when he and teammate Daron Rahlves went one-two.

Hours later, Lindsey Vonn captured a downhill win in Lake Louise, Alberta to create the first time two Americans had won downhills on the same day since Dec. 2004 when Miller won in Beaver Creek and Vonn (then Kildow) captured the first win of her career in Lake Louise.

Bode Miller Highlights

• 33rd career Audi FIS World Cup win for Bode Miller.
• 3rd win in Birds of Prey downhill (2004, 2006).
• First World Cup win since Wengen, Switzerland super combined in Jan., 2010.
• First World Cup downhill win since Kvitfjell in Mar., 2008
• Ted Ligety was 22nd with Marco Sullivan 28th and Erik Fisher 29^th.
• Last time the U.S. Ski Team doubled up with two downhill wins in one day was Dec. 3, 2004 when Bode Miller won on Birds of Prey and then Lindsey Kildow won her first World Cup in Lake Louise.

American Legends Hit Austria for ‘Woodstock of Snowboarding’

For the 12th time, Stuben at the Arlberg in Austria is hosting the biggest Longboard and old school snowboard event in the world. Snowboarding legends from the US, Japan and Europe will join the crowd of three generations of shred heads, riders, media and industry people, to celebrate the spirit of snowboarding. Among them “Godfather of Freestyle” Terry Kidwell, Mike Ranquet, who brought skate style to snowboarding, Japanese shred granddaddy Ishi Ishihara and many more.

The infamous Longboard Classic race will start 2.408 meters (about 7,900 foot) height on the Albonagrat. After the Le Mans mass start it’s all about getting the 1001 meters (3,200 foot) downhill back to the village, far from any kind of groomed slopes, where winners will be crowned in 3 different categories (Men / Women and Old School). To round the event off, there’s also the possibility to test longboards as well as new freeride equipment from selected brands.

Check out photos, facts and more at www.longboardclassic.com If you’re planning on going, attendees can be sorted by post code, city or names – making it very easy to car pool etc.

Shred White & Blue Sends some Call-outs

From California to Colorado and all the way to Vermont right now, the snow has been absolutely going off. It is one of those seasons you get to lay claim to, and try not to sound like you’re lying when you talk about how deep it got. With all of the fun so far, we just wanted to give a call-out to some of the folks out there doing their own special thing who keep inspiring us:

The Mountain Gazette – www.mountaingazette.com – is an amazing monthly collection of interesting voices from around the Rocky Mountain West. Now online and on Facebook, too, it’s a testament to the mag’s honesty that it has so many fans around the world, who all keep contributing stories about their adventures, as well as plenty of photos of their dogs.

Surfline.com is an addiction almost as deep as surfing itself. With one click you can watch other surfers bust big waves via video all day, plan your own surf trip from bus to bungalow, or just watch the wave cam for a couple of minutes (hours) and dream you are surfing yourself.

www.surfline.com/home/index.cfm

Just released last fall, GNAR is already one of the greatest ski movies ever, and probably growing fans by the hour. With three distinct acts, and the kind of engrossing narrative missing from most ski flicks, it’s a shredder’s mix of Lord of the Rings, Caddyshack and Blizzard of AAHHHs. You can watch the whole movie online at http://unofficialnetworks.com/team/

Wagner Custom Skis really do rock! As does the Telluride-based ski company’s sister snowboard brand, Winterstick. If you want the super personal treatment so that you can hit the slopes on something completely unique to you, this is who you want building your dream design. www.wagnerskis.com

Interski is something you probably never heard of, but it is the Olympics of ski and snowboard instruction, held every three years at ski areas around the world. The last—and only—one that the US has hosted was in Aspen in 1968. But US instructors play a crucial role no matter where the event takes place. This time they brought a whole wave of innovation to Interski 2011 in St. Anton, Austria, internationally updating every one else on how rocker skis are changing telemark to the latest in adaptive snowboarding to even how to teach freestyle to every level of ski class. This very cool group of people also had a great time off the slopes as the top picture of Glen Plake (who recently became certified as a ski instructor, as did Kimberly, his lovely wife) and PSIA-AASI Board President Eric Sheckleton shows above.

Owner Operator is a homegrown outerwear brand out of Rhode Island with some nice ideas about style on the slopes. Thanks to Steven Kimura for reaching out, and thanks to you for checking out their site: www.operatorusa.com

Also, thanks for all the stoke to Mike Horn and Justin Cash at the www.stokelab.com, to the Larson boys for the Shred Sightings, C-Dog and Wyatt for the race results, The Hawk for tagging the hell out of Wahoo’s, the Waltons and Schnitzspahns for catwalking in the colors, Scott in Carbondale for always representing, to Ben for all the Laguna sunsets, Colin for keeping the levers moving behind the curtain, and to our man on the East Coast, Alex, who is counting down the days until he graduates.

Shred 1sts – 14’er Surf, Olympic Freestyle and Hawaiian Green

High Country, Colo. (Shred White and Blue)-Jarrett Luttrell recently made history – he became the first snowboarder to climb and ride all 54 of Colorado’s 14ers from their summits.

Luttrell finished the feat with his descent of Keplinger’s on Longs Peak. A split boarder, the fine folks at Shred White and Blue fave Venture Snowboards were stoked to share the news as Luttrell was riding a Venture-built board.

Congrats to Jarrett, who sent over the photo, and to whom we are sending one of the Shred White and Blue Classic Design shirts from our inaugural business year. FOMO, check out this cool interview with Justin on TransWorld Snowboarding right here:

http://snowboarding.transworld.net/1000126359/featuresobf/the-first-14er-jarrett-luttrell/

Slopestyle Could Go for the Gold!

Antalya, Turkey (Shred White and Blue)- A U.S. and French proposal to submit ski halfpipe to the International Olympic Committee for consideration as early as 2014 was approved without dissent as the International Ski Federation concluded its biennial FIS Congress Friday in Antalya, Turkey. The Congress also unanimously passed proposals from the USA and other nations to accept both snowboarding slopestyle and team snowboardcross into the FIS World Snowboard Championships.

A decision on new events for 2014 could be made by the IOC as early as 2011.

“As a member association, we’re proud of the reputation that FIS has developed as a progressive and dynamic international sports federation, particularly in terms of the events and sports it provides to the Olympic Games,” said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Vice President, Luke Bodensteiner. “By aggressively developing new and dynamic action sports into its program, FIS is leading from a position that is relevant to youth and the worldwide public.”

Hawaii Protects Historic Surf Reserves

Maui (Shred White and Blue)-Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle issued an executive order to establish surfing reserves at two of Hawai`i’s most important and well-known surfing areas.  The executive order “acknowledges the cultural, sports and historic significance of important surf sites in Hawai`i,” and “raises public awareness about the importance of protecting, nourishing and developing Hawai`i’s world famous surf sites.”

The Governor’s order establishes the Duke Kahanamoku Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks bounded by the Ala Wai and the Waikīkī War Memorial Natatorium, as well as the North Shore Surfing Reserve, which includes surf breaks from Ali`i Beach in Hale`iwa to Sunset Beach.  Both surf reserves are located in the waters off O`ahu.

Senator Hemmings is a surfing legend in his own right, having become the world’s first surfing champion from Hawai`i after winning the World Surfing Championship in Puerto Rico in 1968. Pictured here are (left to right) Paul Strauch, Jr., Joey Cabell, Duke Kahanamoku, Fred Hemmings and Butch Van Artsdalen.

FOMO: http://hawaii.gov/gov/news/files/2010/june/governor-establishes-hawai-i-surfing-reserves

Shred Up: Still Skiing, Lindsey Law & Order + Pipeline POV

A-Basin, Colo. (Shred White and Blue)-Fear not, fair shredders, for the lift-served season is not over yet – at least not as long as Colorado and Utah can keep riding on those ridiculous late May snows.

According to www.skiinfo.co.uk, “There are four areas still open in the US, all on the Western side of the country.  Mammoth Mountain in California has a 7.5 – 12 foot (2.3 – 3.6m) base and reports a fresh dusting of snow in the past few days. The near-year-round Timberline ski area on Mt Hood in Oregon has a 148 inch (4.5m) base.  Arapahoe Basin in Colorado is looking good with about half of its lifts and terrain open with a 45 inch (112cm) base and yet another three inches (7cm) of new snow in the past few days.”

And Snowbird just went over the 600-inch mark for this season! The ‘bird also announced that they’re going to keep the lifts running up to June 20th, marking a 199-day season at the Utah resort. Check it out: www.snowbird.com.

Lindsey Vonn Helps Close Out Law and Order

New York (Shred White and Blue)- On Monday, May 24 Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn accomplished a life goal of appearing on the final episode of NBC’s legendary drama “Law & Order.”

Early in her career, Vonn began a guerilla lobbying effort to become a character on the program, commonly telling reporters that she’d play a “stiff” just to be included in one episode. 

Vonn was able to visit the set and meet with a number of cast members last year during a New York City media swing, then following her inspiring gold and bronze medal performances in Vancouver, show creator Dick Wolf took notice and invited her to film and episode in early spring.

”I was completely shaking, but I had a grin from ear-to-ear” said Vonn, who plays an administrative assistant at a teachers’ union and tries to help Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) find an anonymous blogger who threatens to blow up a school.

Check out Lindsey (looking just a little Sarah Palinesque), right here.

Pipeline and GoPro

Hawaii (Shred White and Blue)-And for everybody that’s still waiting for spring to start, here’s a little footage of Kalani Robb hitting Pipeline with a GoPro Camera on the nose of his board – looks like some new kind of art!

Hot Tub Shred Machines, Venture + POW & Golden Moguls

Photo: Olympic Moguls Gold Medalist Hannah Kearney and SWB Team Rider Corbin

K./Telluride, Colo. (Shred White and Blue)-The new John Cusack Movie Hot Tub Time Machine is a hit, drawing positive comparisons to every film from The Hangover to Hot Dog, The Movie.

Retro snow and social styles from Walkman’s to leg warmers to neon all make the wayback trip to 1986 nostalgically scary for anyone who actually lived and shredded through those long ago seasons. But the best part for Shred White and Blue fans has got to be the skis, custom made by our buddy Pete Wagner of Wagner Customs.

Pete says he got a call from the film company early on in the process, asking him to make a couple dozen era-specific boards for the film.

“My first suggestion was that they just go and raid a ski fence,” said Wagner. “But they were adamant about wanting brand new boards for the actors.”

Wagner made the skinny sticks the film co’ desired, and then the filmmaker’s art department got involved, making up custom ski designs for faux Austro-Franco sounding shred designs with names like ‘Fachmann,’ ‘Schnell,’ and ‘Rasse.’

Check out the teaser and then go see the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DCFPS58KYY

Venture Partners w/POW for Enviro Boards

Silverton, Colo. (Shred White and Blue)-More Shred White and Blue favorites Venture Snowboards and Protect Our Winters partnered for a snowboard graphic contest to help publicize the impact global warming is having on our snowpack.

The winner (pictured here) is “Unknown Future” by Julie Boake. Congratulations Julie!

According to a release from Venture, “Our panel of judges liked the clean look of Julie’s design, as well as its illustration of the role that mountains play in the water cycle.”

Julie will take home the grand prize – a brand new Venture deck emblazoned with her very own artwork.  These limited edition POW boards will be available for sale this fall and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Protect Our Winters. The runner up, Aggie Drelich Smith’s “Modern Threat” wins a 09/10 Venture board and the top ten contestants will receive Venture swag as prizes.

U.S. Mogul Gold for Kearney and Discoe

Squaw Valley, Calif. (Shred White and Blue)-It was icing on the cake for one, and a new frontier for the other as 2010 gold medalist Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and Joey Discoe (Durango, CO) took moguls titles at the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships at Squaw Valley.

Joining Kearney on the podium were two women who picked up the first World Cup wins of their careers this season. Eliza Outtrim (Steamboat Springs, CO), just off a win at World Cup finals in Spain, was second and Heather McPhie (Bozeman, MT) was third.

Kearney was happy to share the podium with such distinguished talent.

“The podium was three individuals who have won a World Cup so you’re really skiing against the best in the world, which makes it that much more difficult,” Kearney said.

The Olympic champ broke out some new moves Friday, throwing a mute grab off the bottom air to freshen up her run and set herself apart from the stiff competition.

“That was the first time I’ve ever thrown a mute in competition or qualifying and a new trick, it’s always satisfying when that goes well,” Kearney said. “I like to try to push myself because I’ve been stuck in a rut for a few years as far as my tricks go.”

Joining Discoe on the podium were Jeremy Cota (Carrabassett Valley, ME) who was second and Michael Morse (Duxburry, MA) who was third.

Shred White and Snowflakes: Burton, Yonder and Patrol Olympics

Burlington, Vermont (Shred White and Blue)-Wow, American snowboard superpower Burton announced in a press release that it will shift premium snowboard production from its Vermont-based Burton Manufacturing Center (BMC) to Austria.

The company says that “Product design and development will still be home-grown in Vermont, where the company will relocate its snowboard prototyping resources from BMC into a new, purely R&D-driven prototype facility at its global headquarters in Burlington. BMC, located in South Burlington, Vermont is slated to close in June of this year.”

According to the release, 43 employees will be affected by BMC’s closure.

“When I started Burton Snowboards in 1977, all we did was make snowboards in Vermont,” says Jake Burton Carpenter, Founder and Chairman, Burton Snowboards. “Thanks to the BMC staff, we’ve excelled at prototyping and developing product in Vermont, which is why all four Burton Olympic halfpipe medals were won on snowboards coming out of our local factory. But simply put, it costs us significantly more to produce a board in Vermont than we are capable of selling it for, and sadly, this is not sustainable in the current economy.”

So go ahead, Shred Patriots, and let us know how that makes you feel…

Yonder Mountain’s Ski Town Breakdown

Mt. Crested Butte, Colo (Shred White and Blue)-Shred White and Blue dude Josh Chaiken’s favored Yonder Mountain String Band will host Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s (CBMR) first annual Ski Town Breakdown.

The main event is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on March 27th at the base of the resort and will feature opening act Pete Kilpatrick Band followed by headliner and Colorado favorite Yonder Mountain String Band.
General admission tickets are priced at $35 each and are available for purchase on the CBMR website until Wednesday, March 24th. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Adventure Center in Mountaineer Square beginning Monday, March 22nd through show time on Saturday March 27th.

//Photo by Josh Chaiken

Squaw Valley’s Ski Patrol Olympics

Squaw Valley, Calif. (Shred White and Blue)-From March 21, 2010 – April 16 through April 18, 2010, Squaw Valley USA is hosting the first ever U.S. Professional Ski Patrol Olympics.

While several regions have hosted patrol contests in previous years, never before have ski patrollers from across the continent united for one epic competition. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympic Winter Games, Squaw Valley USA has invited patrollers from the East Coast, Rockies, Sierra Nevada and the Pacific Northwest to partake in this inaugural event. Several international patrol teams have also been invited to attend.

The competition will host an array of events from sled races and beacon competitions to simulated bomb throws. The weekend kicks off Friday night from 6-9pm with the Registration Party at Squaw Valley’s Cornice Cantina. Saturday morning, the competitions get going with a randonnée race followed by a beacon competition and a GS race down The Slot.

Shred White and Golden: Bode Miller’s Gold Medal Musings

by Matthew Piper/US Ski Team

By many accounts, his gold medal in the Olympic super combined was the sword in the stone for Bode Miller, a rare stratum of achievement that the most decorated alpine skier in U.S. history had never before reached. The newly crowned champion begged to differ, if only slightly.

“I had no idea that I had won, and I certainly didn’t know that it was going to be a gold or a medal at all,” Miller said, pointing to his post-finish enthusiasm. “I was super, super excited to have skied that way.

“It’s hard to really describe it in a way that makes sense, but the gold medal (itself) doesn’t mean that much. If I won it in a way that I wasn’t excited about, or wasn’t proud of today, I would have probably resented the medal in a certain way because of what it makes everyone else think.”

Miller became the fourth alpine skier to win five medals and the fourth U.S. athlete to win five or more at the Olympic Winter Games. He had already reached the sport’s pinnacle when he won four World Championships and two World Cup overall titles, but the one glaring omission from his milestone collection was an Olympic gold.

Yet Miller said what thrilled him most – more than any precious metal – was reaching deep down to find total abandon and trust in his skiing.

“My proud moment and my feeling of accomplishment doesn’t hinge on (medals), it hinges on the skiing that I put down,” Miller said. “That’s what means a lot to me right now. To do it this way, at this point in my career, in the Olympics, and in the super combined in particular, which is just an unbelievable challenge, and for me to rise to that challenge felt really cool.”

At 32, Miller said he has regained what made him special as a younger skier, before he began winning World Cups and carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders. And he’s had a little help from his friends.

“I feel like I have more fun than everybody else when I ski,” he said. “I think I enjoy it more. I think it’s clear here that it is that way, but I’ve seen the level of enjoyment in the skiing from other guys that I haven’t seen before also at this Olympics. The energy and the level of inspiration has been exceptionally high, and it’s helped me for sure.”

Miller made his return to the U.S. Ski Team this year after a season-long absence in which he struggled independently on the World Cup tour. He’s still not sure what he’ll do in the future, but he hasn’t ruled anything out.

“It seems like I came back for a reason,” he said. “This was why, but it doesn’t mean that I’m done. The reason was because I wanted to make sure I had the right motivation. You know, I am going to have to sit down after this season and figure out which direction to go.

“I feel good, and when I race like I have been here, it really is amazing. It’s just awesome. It’s so fun to do, and it’s so challenging at a level that you can’t find anywhere else, so I’d feel pretty stupid to give that up if I could continue.”

(editor’s note: Bode Miller withdrew from the remainder of the World Cup season due to an ankle injury. There has been no announcement if or when he will return for next season).

Shred White & Huge! Maverick’s Goes Off!

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (Shred White and Blue)-After more than three months of waiting, contestants and fans alike were rewarded for their patience with an historic day for big-wave surfing, as Chris Bertish etched his name in Mavericks lore and was crowned champion of the 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest.
With waves described by the competitors as some of the biggest they have ever paddled into, and in front of a crowd of approximately 50,000 fans, Bertish outlasted Shane Desmond, Anthony Tashnick, Dave Wassel, Carlos Burle, and Kenny “Skindog” Collins to claim the Jim Beam Jersey and a $50,000 check from prize purse sponsors Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision and Barracuda Networks.  The total prize purse of $150,000 was the largest in big-wave surfing history, with $50,000 going to Bertish, $25,000 to Desmond in second, $15,000 to Tashnick in third, $10,000 to Wassel in fourth, $8,000 to Burle in fifth, and $6,000 to Collins in sixth.
2008 Champion Greg Long summed up the day perfectly while passing along the Jim Beam Champion’s jersey to Bertish.  “The entire book of big wave surfing was rewritten today.”

Bertish, a native of Cape Town, South Africa was overcome with emotion, adding, “It was an honor just to be here today and paddle out with these other guys.  I flew 36 hours to be here, and this has been a dream come true.”

The competitors were greeted by huge waves as soon as the Contest began, with heats one through four being won by Dave Wassel, Peter Mel, Alex Martins, and Ryan Seelbach respectively.

“These were definitely the biggest waves I have ever paddled into,” said second-place winner, Shane Desmond. After two memorable semi-finals which were won by Anthony Tashnick and Carlos Burle, the hard-charging Bertish pulled through in the final round.
The Gnarly Head Wines “Gnarliest Drop” Award, given to the surfer who pulls off the most impressive drop of the day, was won by Anthony Tashnick.  Commenting on the opportunities that today’s conditions offered, Tashnick said, “There are no excuses on a day like today, it was perfect.  Whatever you wanted, you could take.”

The Jay Moriarity Award, given to the surfer who best exemplifies the spirit and passion that Jay was famous for, was won by Dave Wassel.  Wassel, who thanked the Half Moon Bay locals for accepting him, was also blown away by today’s conditions.  “It was undoubtedly the largest surf any paddle-in contest has ever seen.”

Despite the roughly 50,000 spectators in attendance, the Save The Waves Green Team was able to minimize the impact that the fans had on the area surrounding this world-famous break.  As in years past, Green Team staff members separated trash and educated fans on how to reduce their carbon footprint.   Added Maverick Environmental Manager Joao de Macedo, “Mavericks is a special place for all of us, and we’re thrilled to say that even with all of today’s foot traffic, the Save The Waves Green Team was able to ensure that this  pristine condition.

Mavericks CEO Keir J. Beadling thanked everyone involved in the production of the event.  “As we all know, producing this event is no easy feat.  It takes countless hours of preparation from everyone in the Mavericks extended family.  We’re grateful for the support of all who aided in the staging of this event, as well as for all of our sponsors.  And congratulations to all the competitors on what was truly an historic day out here at Mavericks.”

The full slate of sponsors for the 2009/2010 Contest includes Sony Ericsson, Barracuda Networks, Jim Beam® Bourbon, Moose Guen and Jane Sutherland of MVision, Facebook, the Bay Club, The Corporate Law Group, Gnarly Head Wines, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Airship Ventures, Vertical Response, Surfer Magazine, Oceano Hotel & Spa, Stormsurf.com, Rickshaw Bagworks, GoPro, Mission Chiropractic, and Capture Technologies. FOMO: www.maverickssurf.com.

// Photo by Art Gimbel

A Fundraiser for Frank Long

Snowbird, Utah (Shred White and Blue)—This a personal note from Matt Long, whose father Frank is a dear friend of Shred White and Blue and of skiers everywhere. Any and all contributions – prior to or after the fundraiser are greatly appreciated. Matt’s e-mail address is at the bottom of the note:

On September 4, 2009, father, husband, avid skier, and Little Cottonwood Canyon local Frank Long suffered a terrible accident in Valle Nevado, Chile. On the last run of the day Frank suffered a brutal crash that compressed his C3, C4, and C5 vertebrae. The accident has left Frank without feeling through much of his body.

Dust on crust, poor visibility, and an unmarked cat track sent Frank over a 4-5 foot drop where his upper body and face took most of the impact on a cement-like road. After ski patrol responded he was airlifted to a hospital in Santiago where he underwent emergency surgery. A difficult week at the Chilean hospital followed before Frank was placed on a medevac flight to Miami.

Frank will return to Utah on January 14, 2010 to continue his fight to take back control of his life. Help us get Frank back in the mountains where he belongs and doing what he loves with his friends and family.

The Tram Club is hosting a fundraiser on February 20, 2010 at 5pm to help Frank with his ongoing recovery and medical expenses. We are asking for items or services to be donated for a raffle and silent auction. Anything you can contribute would be greatly appreciated. To make a donation please contact Matt Long 774-994-0145 – mlongima@aol.com, Nancy Pinnell 801-455-5177 – nancy.pinnell@utahhomes.com, or Brian Van Steenkiste 734-626-0311 – brian_van_ggs@yahoo.com

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