2019 winter in the Colorado Rockies was monumental. It had been 62 years since a slide on the Disney avalanche path off Highway 40 had reached the road. The Disney slide path is first major avalanche slide path you reach on your way to Winter Park Resort. It is on the south side of the road just outside of Empire before you hit Berthoud Pass … and to say it lightly – this is a monster slide.
Here is another video that is equally interesting to watch from the Denver Copter 7 on the same day … just turn your volume down.
How to throw an innovative and successful ski & snowboard contest … with both Men and Women.
1 – Let it snow
2 – Target a window of time
3 – Choose iconic location
4 – Let the athletes be judges
The 1st annual Kings and Queens of Corbet’s Couloir freeride competition took place during a window of time from July 31st to February 4th, 2018. The actual contest was held on February 1st and 25 athletes took the plunge into one of the worlds most famous ski runs.
Judged on three basic criteria — Speed, commitment and degree of difficulty of line, followed by innovative and progressive maneuvers with control and stomped landings revealed only a single champion King and one female Queen. After an athlete deliberation viewing party and video presentation of all the runs … King Karl Fostvedt and Queen Caite Zeliff were crowned champions.
This was a fantastic event to socially follow … each athlete had their own versions of instaStories to reveal what it was really like to be at and compete in such a great event. Jackson Hole at first rewarded the men with higher pay-days … but after some simple griping from the women they quickly corrected their decision and matched the same winnings to the women. I can’t really say I fully support this decision – but it was the socially correct thing to do.
11 months later, Jackson Hole finally released this video recapping the event … and in perfect timing to amp for the 2nd annual Kings and Queens of Corbet’s to take place during the February 10th – February 16th, 2019 window.
The first two minutes of this Salomon TV tribute to JP Auclair and the history of the Salomon 1080 is filled with ridiculously awesome banger quotes. Take your pick, and enjoy the flick.
“JP JP JP JP JP JP JP” — Everyone
“I think the greatest thing you can do with one of your friends is to remember them in your hearts and in your minds… and here everybody is and I think it’s just the coolest thing ever. I really do.” — Blake Jorgensen
“Thank’s a lot everyone for coming out on the 20th anniversary of the New Canadian Airforce and honoring a great man … JP Auclair.” — Mike Douglas
“Here we are, Blackcomb wind lip session … it’s been a long time since I’ve seen something like this go down. It’s a throw back to the old days, the tribe has rallied… it’s just good to be here man, it feels like old times.” — Feet Banks
“It’s awesome to see everyone getting fired up, just sending it, just strictly out of love for him.”
“Vinny and JP’s and Szocs and Mike, they are just on the next level”
“Every single trick they did was groundbreaking and never been done before… and what really stood out for us is that a lot of the shots we saw were in Whistler”
Well, this is where we kind of learned a lot of this stuff. So to be back here exactly 20 years later is super super cool.” — Mike Douglas
“That was the first back flip mute I think I’ve done in about 10 years … that one was for JP” — Mike Douglas
“My back is sore, my shins will be sore… and I need a masseuse and a hot tub. I can’t do those hard landings anymore.” — Shane Szocs
“Back to 97 baby!” — Mike Douglas
“Back when skiing was just furry boots and malt cider and like kind of FIS bullshit, these guys stepped up, they turned it around, they took it backwards.”
“And that’s what made them rad.”
“A guy once told me that anything less than 20 years old is just news, it’s not history. And it’s been 20 years now since the TenEighty came out so… I guess we’ll see.” — Mike Douglas
“I sense snowboard coming really big two years ago like all new tricks I was like fuck man – should I change for snow board but, like I said in my mind – ah fuck there is something to do with skiing. There’s not because we got pole that we can’t grab so… last year I started to do flip like mistys and rodeo and I think skiings awesome and we can kick snowboards ass easily.” — JF Cusson
“Skiing was pretty much dead in the 90s, snowboarding was taking off.” — Jonny Moseley
“Skiing was your parents sport. Nobody — No one young with energy or that was cool was getting into skiing.” — Mike Douglas
“And the New Canadian Air Force came along and they invented twin tip skis … and that just like set it off.” — Jonny Moseley
Colorado is experiencing some insanely long summers around here … it’s time to express how we feel. More Snow, Less Hate. Props to these Steamboat standouts for finally expressing their concerns of grabbing that snow by the balls.
#MakeColoradoSnowAgain
Anything But Summer
Not My Season!
Powder To The People
More Snow – Less Hate
Making Awesomeness for the 2nd Annual High Fives Foundation Colorado Golf Tournament
Blackbox Case lasered up some awesomeness for the High Fives Foundation 2nd Annual Colorado Golf Tournament this past week! Pictured above is a 15″ Natural Bamboo Wood Case for and Apple MacBook Pro Retina, a 13″ Carbonized Apple MacBook Pro Retina Case in the middle, and a 12″ Natty MacBook Bamboo Blackbox Case on the bottom. As a team, we shot 20 under par at the super elevated Copper Creek Golf Course and only finished in 4th place overall … which didn’t result in any awards coming our way, but that doesn’t matter because it was all for a good cause and technically we made all the awards!
Blackbox Case is looking forward to releasing a High Fives Foundation + Blackbox Case partnership in the very near future, so you can get your own hands on a High Fives branded Blackbox Case while supporting such an amazing cause! If you take a minute or 10 to watch and learn about the awesome work Roy Tuscany and High Fives does with mountain sports inspired athletes, you will completely understand why we love their mission so much.
Just watch High Fives’ newly released video and go full screen on this masterpiece:
Thought it would be worth sharing a couple first time visitors experience at Kirkwood! January 22nd, 2016 was another fantastic powder day to enjoy the fresh that the Kirkwood has to offer. Nikki Peterson and Ryan Johnston – Come visit us in Tahoe more often!
“Let me explain ourselves a little bit. There are a few de facto standards of awesome things in this world. Snow sports and skiing are of course one of them… creativity and creative thinking are another… and the third most important ingredient to awesomeness in this world are *moms*. Never forget that all the awesomeness people alive on the planet today… had to come from an awesome mom.
This short movie reflects on quite a few of our awesome principals. We grew up watching Wendy Fisher in ski movies … now 41 (at time of shooting) and *mother* of two children she’s been put to the test to see if she still has it. Mike Douglas of Switchback Productions put this movie together two years ago and won best short at the 2014 Powder awards. Wendy’s fall at the 6 minute mark is sketchy at best … but like any championy awesome mom – she gets right back up to show off her awesomely beautiful technique of making skiing look absolutely effortless. Cheers to you Wendy … now what should we laser for this SUPER MOM!?”
I know for a fact your mom can’t ski like this … mine can! But your mom – no. Haha – That still doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ski with her this season. Be sure you get your mom out on the hill, or a big wheel … and document it! Love you mom!
[Vimeeeeee0] <— 151
I need to get the skinny from TJ Fry on this end of season creative piece... but it's worth the share and the laugh on where and when skiers began turning.
[VimeeeeeO] <— 3,157
Here is a perfect example of brands partnering with creative fluids. Actually, a better way of stating this is...
“Here is a perfect example of *LARGE* brands partnering with creative fluids”
… and this is what you get.
Sweetgrass Productions, Philips TV and Swedish Agency Ahlstrand & Wållgren all teamed up to produce something that is truly remarkable. 8 mega lights, 8 generators, 20 light stands, miles of extensions chords, colored filters, 4 amazing skiers and 5 weeks of figuring shit out… all with a working budget only a fraction of a major car manufactures 30 second spot.
Cheers to Pep Fujas, Eric Hjorleifson, Daron Rahlves, Chris Benchetler and the entire film crew who had the patience to capture and present something so tasty for our eyes. Does this make me want to buy a Philips Ambilight TV? No – but it definitely helps me think about purchasing one just to watch this creative masterpiece on.
As I peek into the life of Andreas Fransson, a man I never formerly knew… I am absolutely blown away at the documenting and stories he was capable of. Andreas Fransson perished with my good friend JP Auclair on September 29th, 2014 in an unfortunate climbing accident in Patagonia. These two skiing and mountain adventure pioneers were onto something special and I can only explore how they got there through the help of Andreas Fransson’s unbelievable blog of documenting his life and meticulously thanking everyone he ever climbed with. In such the modern day of media we live in today, it’s amazing how the writing is what still truly tells the story.
“I’ve learnt a few things the last few months; Life goes on and how we want it to go on is a choice and even if we want to escape, there is no-where to escape so we might as well make right now awesome.”
– Andreas Fransson
Esto se llama Crecer. — This is called Grow.
This is the ending of the final post on Andreas Fransson’s blog from February 13th, 2014. As I’ve alway been interested in examining people’s final thoughts and postings prior to unfortunate accidents like this, Fransson’s final official blog post completely blows my mind.
How did he arrive at this thinking… I’m finding out. I’m only through 2 months of Andreas Fransson’s posts and I’ve already experienced amazing adventures through his eyes and completely unbelievable patagonia climbing adventures.
Andreas Fransson Portrait by Sandra Fransson
JP Auclair is going to be a little bit harder to read into, because for the life of me – I can’t recall how long he has actually had this for his coming soon website. UP1 Whaaaaaat!? I fucking miss you dude.
Sad news today is crushing through the interManets about how JP Auclair and Andreas Fransson are reported missing and presumed dead in an avalanche that swept 700 meters on the face of Monte San Lorenzo which is located deep in Patagonia on the Chilean and Argentine boarder.
When I first heard about this I had to check JP Auclair’s last post and location check in via Instagram… and can only say I hope this isn’t true.
JP Auclair Posted 4 days ago on September 26th, 2014
Looking a bit deeper into the goals for this trip it sounds like JP Auclair, Andreas Fransson, Sweden videographer Bjarne Salen and photographer Daniel Ronnback were starting up a new web series called Apogee Skiing that was slated to start dropping episodes this fall. It sounds like Auclair and Fransson were climbing a couloir nearing the peak of the 12,159 foot tall glacier when something moved above them. The length of the slide is estimated at over 700 meters and carried all the way to the glacier below. Salen and Ronnback were unaffected as they were shooting from another peak.
You can tell the level of excitement everyone had from their final posts before the trip. Winter was definitely in the air.
JP Auclair Posed 6 days ago on September 24th, 2014
Andreas Fransson’s final post on September 26th, 2014
“Our Patagonia adventure just started! I’m so looking forward hanging out with @auclairjp@bjarnesalen@danielronnback (photo credit) for two weeks in the wild! You will probably not hear much from us in a while, but it’s worth keeping your eyes open for #apogeeskiing project which is a collaboration between JP and myself with first webisode dropping later this autumn!
Photographer Daniel Ronnbacks Instagram post leading up to the trip posted on September 24th, 2014.
“I really dont know what to expect from my 18 days ahead of me. Last time i was out with @andreasfransson99@bjarnesalen and @auclairjp this was one of our runs. Time will tell! #chile @fstopgear @armadaskis @oakley @dynafitna @douchebags”
I am super saddened by this news and can only hope early reports are not correct. Unfortunately I don’t believe this to be the case and the skiing community and I have lost another great friend :(. To Andreas Fransson, I can only hope someone can write about the final days of your life as well as you recapped the tragic death of your friend Magnus Kastengren from his fatal fall last November. Your writing is shockingly brilliant and you paid amazing tribute to the joyous last days of Magnus Kastengren. I wish I could have known your for this writing alone and could only imagine what you were about to write with my good friend JP.
To JP Auclair, I am so deeply sorry and know you were in your happy place creating amazing things when this occurred. From the days I met you resting your back and laying on the kitchen floor of Joel McCormick’s and my college hangout, to when I met Bo Bridges while picking you up from my garage to adventure you to Vail. I’ve done amazing things with Bo since then and I’ve done amazing things with you since the tragic passing of Joel. Edit parties, beach olympics and all night creative sessions, chatting and creating, chatting and creating… from across the world. Keeping in touch with you has meant a lot to me and you were one of the key initiatives into us moving forward with an idea that would spark the entire world of old school skiing with new school skiing. You were the only pro skier I confided with about the possibility of integrating Warren Miller into Level 1 Productions 10th film mixing the oldest audience in skiing with the youngest. The idea was a little crazy, and I wanted your honest opinion on whether or not you thought the ski industry could handle something so out of the box. Your response was so positive that we continued with the project of Josh Berman’s 10th film – Refresh integrated with Warren Miller. I wish you could have been at the premier on September 11th, 2009 at the Bluebird Theater in Denver. Greg Stump was there, we partied hard and when Warren Miller’s voice kicked in during the intro sequence, the crowd erupted in awesomeness. We created something unique and even though you probably didn’t think you were a part of this, you were. Just the same as you and John Decesare coming to Joel McCormick’s celebration and service back in 2003 – your presence was a major part of his service and I don’t think you ever realized how much of a positive impression you made on his family just by you attending. I don’t think people realize how much you actually created in this world or how artistic you were without skis on. The intro sequences to Session 1242 and Ready Fire Aim paying tribute to Joel McCormick were simply genius… along with everything else you put your hands on. I don’t know how to take this news of your loss, just like many others and I’m so terribly sorry and sad about this unforeseen accident that has occurred to you and your friends. My feelings are difficult to describe. May you rest in peace and realize your Alpine Initiatives of inspiring, connecting and growing is exactly how you lived your life. I will forever miss you… say hello to Joel.
February 1st, 2014 – Greg Hydle + JP Auclair at Freeskiers SIA Sarah Burke Fundraiser
Just when you think the inspiration of the ski season is over… And Freeskier publicizes this awesomeness.
FACTION — Way to kill it with your new team and video series.
Adam Delorme – Why don’t you have a “the facebook”?
Etienne Mérel – Keep up the Awesomeness.
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