Pics of the PNW, BigAirBell Style
07.27.04 - I'll never forget the first time I hung out with BigAirBell. Sophomore year at BC, Dave had a back porch bedroom directly across from mine in our apartment complex. JGB tapes in the cassette player and dank in the bubbs, one would never know he'd be our Pacific Northwest profiler 8 years later. A graduate from Evergreen State University and a true example of "if you put your mind to it, you can do anything" Dave has transplanted himself from a ritzy waiter at Papa Razi to a back country delegate of the PNW. Not only has Dave reinvented his love for skiing, he's become a staple member of firstchairmag.com's brotherhood. He recently sent me some pics of the past year and he's eager to show off the hidden treasures of Washington state to anyone who makes the trip.
An ice waterfall in the Coast Range of British Columbia.
A shot of the Coast Range in BC driving from Whistler to Lillooet this past January.
My friend Emily skinning up Mt. St. Helen's this past winter in less than ideal conditions.
A shot of my friend Goat skiing down the backside of the King.
Alex Pinchot jumping off a little rock under the High Cambell chair at Crystal.
The boarders are my boy Tommy Dee, he is the one jumping through the little tree and...
the other boarder is Matt 'skiing' down the front side of Crystal, the run is Exterminator.
A big thanks goes out to BigAir 'Dave' Bell for hooking us up with these pictures. Anyone who wants to contact Dave can do so via the chatter board. He has unlimited knowledge of back country riding in Washington and beyond and he even has a pair of sweet Sugar Daddy's for sale!!!
~BP
Termas de Chillan Chillan, Chile (August 21-23, 2005)
11.01.05 - It's day nine of a fourteen day excursion to Chile. Its our fifth ski day of a trip designed to accommodate six to seven ski days, and our second day skiing Termas de Chillan, a mountain about 300 miles south of Santiago, offering up approximately 2,300 in vertical and well over 30,000 acres of piste and off piste terrain. It's about 9:20 a.m., and I?m sitting on the El Huemul double, angry. No, El Huemul is not broken. Rather, it is moving as fast as the El Huemul travels. At this stage of the trip, being stranded on a lift was not the source of my anger...
02.26.06 - So, I give the Dominos guy 7 bucks on a 23 dollar bill and he looks at me like I'm the one who should be delivering pizzas in a snowstorm. Good thing me and Shmibda are unemployed or else we wouldnta caught the dump that gave way to bluebird solitude today at Mammoth Mountain, Cali. Sure their 12 foot base is the largest in the US and sure my Volkl Karma fatties had no problem pizza wheeling through the fresh half meter left over night, but what's wrong with a seven dollar tip?
The Phantom Menace: Crystal Ship
07.01.05 - Every once in awhile you stumble across a ski you didn't think existed. Gerlt and I were auditioning various websites for a potential First Chair storefront when a generously proportioned, Doors-themed ski jumped off the page at us. Neither of us had ever seen this ride before. Further investigation revealed a small ski company, Phantom, with one ski dedicated precisely to the conditions we worship: East Coast powder filled trees...
06.16.05 - Last year Line's catalogue looked like an army recruitment brochure. This year, it resembles a romp through the Playboy mansion; the Line reactor binding spread out on a pimped out velvet background. After 10 years in this business, Line has released their best skis yet. From 3 different Prophets to 2 different Chronics to a couple of women's skis, Line is putting it all on the table this winter...
Igneous Skis, "Don't call it a comeback..."
06.05.05 - When Igneous Skis closed its Jackson Hole doors and shut down operations in March of 2001, Adam Sherman (half owner) thought there was a small chance they'd be back. The company had lasted 5 years but couldn't make ends meet in a market dominated by enormous ski moguls like Atomic and Salomon. Igneous' niche, custom skis, allowed the consumer to choose between multiple options...
Insider's Guide to Tuckerman Ravine, Mt. Washington, NH
05.24.05 - Skiing Tuckerman Ravine is a ritualistic sacrifice for some of the best skiing exeriences imaginable. Mount Washington, the home of the ravine, boasts some of the world's worst weather. Extremely harsh, cold, and snowy winters pound the slopes of the 6000 foot New Hampshire resident every winter. Snow falls, builds, packs, slides, fills, and falls again throughout the season. When this weather cycle dies down in March, Tuckerman Ravine opens for business...
Salomon Releases 2005/2006 Skis
05.15.05 - Salomon has long been a leader in skiing equipment and the 2005/2006 gear continues to help set the standard. Salomon skis will feature 2 types of construction this upcoming winter. The Titanium Monocoque (for power and energy) is used in the Racing and All-Mountain categories while a Composite Monocoque (for lightness and maneuverability) is utilized in the Freestyle/Freeride series...
03.24.05 - After three great days at Whistler/Blackcomb, Reichert, Bell, and I headed back into Washington searching for more powder. We decided on the nation's leading yearly snowfall getter, Mt. Baker, for phase 2 of our trip. Although Dave tried to warn us, nothing could have prepared JR and me for the Blackcomb to Baker culture shock. I realize no ski resort in the country could live up to skiing's Disneyworld, but Mt. Baker, even with its 600+ inches of snow per year, has more similarities to a desert than to North America's ski Mecca.
03.16.05 - After 4 years of hearing about great skiing in the Pacific Northwest, I finally chose this season to visit Dave Bell and find out what exactly is going on with the often underestimated resorts of Washington state. I got the call from Bell about a week before JR and I were set to leave. "I think you should fly in somewhere else, we just don't have any snow..."
03.14.05 - Any mountain that has the word "kill" in it is good by me to begin with. Ski Plattekill in Roxbury, NY didn't exactly make me giddy thinking about their 1000' of vertical, two chairs (neither high-speed) and seeming lack of terrain, but I was enthusiastic about not having to sell my stereo for the lift ticket ($40) and I knew the mountain was owned by a husband and wife. There's a somewhat golden glow that radiates from your soul when you're not skiing on the Man's mountain...
10 Signs Jay Peak is Officially Blown Up
02.15.05 - Anyone who was at Jay last weekend noticed one thing was more abundant than the supposed 36" of snow that fell: people. An aggressive marketing scheme and a reputation as the East Coast Powder King has helped to attract skiers and riders from all over New England, Canada, and beyond. For those of us that have been skiing Jay for 5 + years, it is frustrating to see our mountain be taken over by intruders. How do I know Jay is too popular for its own good? Read on...
02.08.05 - This winter sucks, plain and simple. Nearly any Jay bird will have career low ski days this year. I can count my powder days on one hand and my face shots on one finger. December was descent up until the 30th; then the rains came. The east coast rang in 2005 with a month of boilerplate trails leading to injuries and fatalities. However bad it seems here, it's as bad or worse in other places...
01.25.05 - You can twiddle your thumbs, follow a sport you don't care about, take up knitting, or put your head underground and bang the topsoil like a drum, but when it's not snowing, you feel crazy, cheated, gypped, depressed, anxious and underwhelmed. Part of the magic of the skiing lifestyle is the anticipation of the BIG DUMP. Driving up north on a Thursday night in blizzard conditions is what keeps us young, vulnerable and appreciative. Skiing is nothing without the risks involved and the glory in overcoming the odds both inside and outside of ourselves to reach the mountain...
10 Things To Do At Jay This Year
01.15.05 - The lack of quality skiing this season has sent Jay regulars in search of alternative activities in the Northeast Kingdom. Some people may not know exactly which hot spots to hit, while others may just need a little encouragement. Here are a few ideas to keep the sanity levels in check while waiting for the next big dump.
01.09.05 - Jay is in bad shape. Really bad. The worst I have seen it in 5 years. The recent warming trend and rain events have basically ruined what looked like a promising year. If you are looking for a cruel joke, refer to the article I wrote 370 days ago (A.P.B. - Jay Needs Snow) to see the same thing happened last year, it just wasn't this bad. Last year also had help from the 200" of snow we got in December. Out of 30 people I know who ski Jay Peak regularly, not one went up there this weekend. Half of us found deeper snow on Berardi's roof Friday night than we would have in Beaver Pond. And despite partying on his Boston roof top past 2am, we were a lot safer compared to skiing Jay's glades.
12.04.04 - "Could it have really snowed 5' in Tahoe?" I pondered as I read an email from this tele-skier Chiquita I know. It was October 22nd. I had no reason to believe there was 5' of fresh goodness out west. It was still 65 degrees in Boston. It was October in the western hemisphere. Nope. No reason to believe. So I did what any ski-geek-bum does these days: I checked the Squaw web cam.
11.28.04 - With a packed parking lot and a cold spell in the air, big things were in store for our first day of the year. None so big as my willingness to leave after 3 turns. As I navigated my way down the only open trail, I quickly realized that every type of skier was strutting their early season style. Race teams practicing race drills, beginners practicing sucking, and everyone in everyone else's way was the recipe for ski day # 1 for JR and me.
Older Archives
11.19.04 - Let's Get This Season Started
09.29.04 - 5 Tips to Skiing Better This Season
09.18.04 - Summer Meditation
07.27.04 - Pics of the PNW
07.14.04 - Line's New Line: 2004/2005
07.06.04 - Yesterday
06.15.04 - Cathedral
05.13.04 - Tech Tip#2: Post-Season Tune-Up
05.01.04 - Atomic Releases 2004/2005 Skis
04.13.04 - First Chair
04.07.04 - K2 Releases 2004/2005 Skis
03.25.04 - Redemption
02.29.04 - Big Jay on Leap Day
FC Mag Goes Colorado Styles:
02.11.04 - Day 1: Vail
02.12.04 - Day 2: A-Basin
02.13.04 - Day 3: Breckenridge
02.17.04 - Days 4 and 5: Crested Butte
02.22.04 - Day 6: The Other Vail
01.27.04 - Part 2: Champagne on New Year's Eve,
Utah Style
01.20.04 - Freedom
01.12.04 - Part 1: Champagne On New Year's Eve,
Utah Style
01.05.04 - A.P.B. - Jay Needs Snow
12.28.03 - Big Jay
12.27.03 - 6th Chair, 1st Chair, 1st Tram...A Great Day
12.08.03 - Big Monday
12.07.03 - Anticipation
12.05.03 - Opening Day
11.22.03 - 10 Ideas to Kick the Pre-Season Blues
11.01.03 - Tech Tip #1: Pre-Season Tune-Up
10.04.03 - Tenney Mountain Opens – October 4th
09.01.03 - FC Magazine Launches Online Winter Home
07.06.04 - You know you've had a great day on the mountain when you can recall it vividly on a breezy June afternoon. Friday, December 19, 2003 began with high expectations. At the end of a week-long storm that dumped an unbelievable 79" in 5 days, the Jay Cloud decided to let up long enough to allow the lifts to churn, and we took full advantage of the early season opportunity.
06.15.04 - Our trip up to Sugarbush started like many other great trips do, with a conversation over Thursday night beers about the huge storm that was slated to roll through Vermont, and the ultimate decision to call in sick the next day. We split from the bar, got our gear together at our respective homes and Seth picked Brown and I up, all smiles, dumping our gear in his truck and made tracks up to the 'Bush.
06.02.04 - The inaugural year of FirstChairMag.com was a big success as far as the FC staff is concerned. Starting with our first article from last September "FC Magazine Launches Online Winter Home", we have slowly moved towards some of the goals we had outlined. The site includes 25 feature articles with topics ranging from tuning advice to destination ski vacations to editorials on incredible ski days from the last winter. The on camera section displays tons of great photos and 12 videos (dvd on the way). The chatter board...
Tech Tip#2: Post-Season Tune-Up
05.13.04 - The post season tune-up is the most important of all ski care you can perform for your expensive equipment. Unlike mid-winter ski tuning, which aids the ski and skier in performance, the post season session helps prolong the life of your investment. Rather than tossing your skis in the basement after your last spring fling on the mountain, spend a few hours ensuring your gear will rest safely and comfortably for the summer. You'll be glad you did when a freak November storm hits next fall and you're ready to go in 20 minutes.
Atomic Releases 2004/2005 Skis
05.01.04 - Thanks to my ski shop, Center Ski and Bike, I had the chance to preview the new 2004/2005 ski specifications coming out of Atomic's inovative R & D department. Unfortuneately for me, rather than stepping into the new skis and bindings, I'm forced to thumb through the pages of their shop catalogue until the actual hard goods are delivered. Skipping past pages and pages of ski BS ("Beta 5", "Beta Plus", "EBM", Magnesium re-enforced, "m2 index") I finally got to the goods: the skis.
04.13.04 - I once heard a great story while riding a Squaw Valley chair lift. The kid telling me the tale described catching first chair on a powder day with a local named Steve. Just as they were being lifted up over The Fingers on KT-22, Steve pulled out a disposable camera and took a picture of the empty chairs ahead and the fresh snow all around. Being fully surrounded by incredible terrain under a blue bird sky with a foot of fresh on the mountain, one can only imagine the beauty. "Nice picture," another one of the chair's inhabitants said. Steve nonchalantly replied, "I've got a hundred of these at home."
04.07.04 - Just outside of Vashon, Washington, the K2 R&D team has been working hard on the new ski designs for the upcoming winter. Most of their skis are debuting a new tip design to increase running surface and help create an easier turn initiation. They have also fine-tuned "MOD Technology", a system that helps dampen vibrations and control the ski. However, I could care less about most of this. Of the 32 new skis for 2004/2005, I have picked 6 to feature, and I would only ski 4 of these if given the choice.
Older Archives
03.25.04 - Redemption
02.29.04 - Big Jay on Leap Day
FC Mag Goes Colorado Styles:
02.11.04 - Day 1: Vail
02.12.04 - Day 2: A-Basin
02.13.04 - Day 3: Breckenridge
02.17.04 - Days 4 and 5: Crested Butte
02.22.04 - Day 6: The Other Vail
01.27.04 - Part 2: Champagne on New Year's Eve,
Utah Style
01.20.04 - Freedom
01.12.04 - Part 1: Champagne On New Year's Eve,
Utah Style
01.05.04 - A.P.B. - Jay Needs Snow
12.28.03 - Big Jay
12.27.03 - 6th Chair, 1st Chair, 1st Tram...A Great Day
12.08.03 - Big Monday
12.07.03 - Anticipation
12.05.03 - Opening Day
11.22.03 - 10 Ideas to Kick the Pre-Season Blues
11.01.03 - Tech Tip #1: Pre-Season Tune-Up
10.04.03 - Tenney Mountain Opens – October 4th
09.01.03 - FC Magazine Launches Online Winter Home