Back on the Mountain

Cigarettes & Skiing

2010-07-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Smoking before, on the slopes, or après-ski? I found this gem 1967 Swedish advertisement (below) while snooping around the internet the other day for Savoy cigarettes. I don't know what it says but I get the general idea. However, does it matter if you don't know what it says? It's a genius advert. A ski bunny and her ski buck, crossing their arms high taking a break from their drags on their fags (this is not meant to offend, but that's humor sometimes).

I am not one to ruin my savory mountain aired breaths with a cigarette, but everyone has some vice. I mean, look how happy this couple is with their Savoys. They're not harming anyone.

Ski the Road when the Mountain is not around

2010-06-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

It may be the skiing off season in many places around the world, but that doesn't mean you can't ski. Or at least make art of it.

I found this picture posted on the world wide web. I don't know any of the facts (the whos, when, where) but I do know it's amazing! It does have that old-fashion look so I know it was taken before 1980. However, it could be stylized as such and made to confuse people (like me) and it was really taken yesterday.

If you know any information about this photo, please let me know!

Time for some Escalator Skiing. Wait, what?

2010-05-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

As snow on the mountains starts to melt and ski resorts in So Cal are closed (all except Mammoth of course), thoughts of skiing are still on the brain. Where oh where can one ski in the off-season? Perhaps, on a nice, steep moving escalator!

May 9, 2010 (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)

Above is a picture of a Hungarian stuntman skiing down one of the railway station escalators in Budapest, Hungary. Known as, "Szenty," he's getting a lot of press already. Good move, young aspiring stuntman. I'm sure one of Hollywood's stunt companies may be looking to add to their rosters. You need to get a SAG card first though. However, Szenty's attempt is not the first of this kind.

A few years ago, some guys in London skied down one of the London Undergrounds escalators at Angel Station. Instead of posting that video from you tube, I decided to include another where others went around posting no skiing stickers on the Angel Station escalators. Talk about a pun on a pun. I love the Brits.

Soon to be the new off-season craze? It also seems really effective if you're running late to catch the metro. Something tells me you shouldn't try this at home. Or...shall I say out. Just make sure and wear your helmet, okay? And please don't tell them I sent you.

Lindsey Vonn hanging with Abe

2010-05-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Yep. As simple that title is, so is the picture description of Lindsey Vonn posing with an oil painting of Abraham Lincoln while at the White House. Vonn just posted this on her Facebook page. She was in D.C. recently to attend the White House Correspondents Dinner. She also got pics with many other celebrities that include but aren't limited to: Jon Bon Jovi, Alec Baldwin, and Betty White. However, this one with Abe is classic. Good shot! Work that yellow dress Lindsey.

What's so special about HEAD?

2010-05-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

Now wait a minute and settle yourselves down. I may be over thinking my readers' sick thoughts, but never can be too careful! I'm talking about HEAD skis, and there are a lot of Olympic alpine skiers who are switching and signing to race on them.

HEAD skis began picking up popularity in the 1964 Olympic Winter Games

Original link

The first big bad skier to make the switch this season was Gold medalist, Lindsey Vonn. Good move for her since it brought her home the Gold and a Bronze medal in this years Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Another Olympic US Team skier who has just signed with HEAD skis is Ted Ligety. Also known as "Ted Shred," HEAD is very proud to add him to their stick riding. Another Gold medal winner that races with HEAD is Bode Miller. Looks like they'll have to up their supply of US men's racing skis since Vonn prefers to ride on men's rather than women's. She's tough.

Not only are there US Olympic skiers joining HEAD, but key racers in Norway are strapping on too. Silver medalist Kjetil Jansrud and his 1, 2, 3 teammate (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and sexy beast on skis Aksel Lund Svindal both signed on to Team HEAD. That's a lot of HEAD people, come on.

So my question still remains. What's so special about HEAD? As you know, I'm riding on some pretty nice, meant for me K2 MissDemeanors. I really enjoyed bonding with them this first season back on the mountain. I guess if you're a racer, HEAD is where it's at though. I mean, it seems that way. Now I am starting to look for new ski boots. Perhaps I should start looking towards their boots.

First chairlifts are special days

2010-04-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

When mountains get their first ski chairlifts, it is a special day. Both people and mountains rejoice. I'm a sucker for old ski advertisements (as previously posted) and footage as well. Check out this newsreel showcasing New Zealand's Mt. Ruapehu getting it's first chairlift in the 1950's/1960's. Mt. Ruapehu is New Zealand's largest ski area. Let's plan a trip, shall we?

This Kid is Only 3 Years Old

2010-04-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

His name is Wesley Muresan and he is only 3 years old. He snowboards better than me. Even though I have only snowboarded once and prefer skiing, I'm sure he'd kill it down the mountain and jumps on me regardless. Oh, did I mention he's ONLY 3 YEARS OLD?! He may be the next Shaun White. Not only does this kid have skills, but he is the cutest. I just love watching him...

So this is why I like Vikings.

2010-04-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

I love Iceland and all of Scandinavia, really. If you don't believe me, peruse some of my old posts. So, it is absolutely no surprise Scandinavia and skiing are historically related to each other. I mean, of course they are. Perhaps I was a skiing Viking in a past life. The old norse God, Ullr, is known as the Snow God and many ski resorts have festivals in his honor to this day.

Ski Warriors, indeed (skiinghistory.org)

"Classic Norwegian painting of 2-year old prince Häkon being taken to safety in Osterdalen from Lillehammer in 1206."

Compiled by Morten Lund and Seth Masia, below is a History of Skis from the International Skiing History Society (2003):

Prehistory: Rock paintings and skis preserved in bogs show that hunters and trappers used skis at least 5000 years ago.
Early modern period: Skis were in regular use by Scandinavian farmers, hunters and warriors throughout the Middle Ages. By the 18th century, units of the Swedish Army trained and competed on skis.
1850: The cambered ski was invented by woodcarvers in the province of Telemark, Norway. The bow-shape cambered ski arches up toward the center to distribute the weight of the skier more evenly across the length of the ski. Before this, skis had to be thick to glide without bowing downward and sinking in the snow under the skier's weight, concentrated in the middle. If a ski is allowed to bow downward this way, the skier finds himself constantly skiing uphill, out of a hole his own weight has made in the snow. Camber made possible a thinner, lighter ski that did not sink at the middle. The thin, cambered ski floated more easily over soft snow, flexed more easily to absorb the shock of bumps, maneuvered more easily because it was lighter and easier to swing into a turn. The thinner, lighter ski ran faster and maneuvered with better agility than the clumsier sideways skid of the plank-thick older "transportation" skis.
1868: Sondre Norheim demonstrated the Telemark ski, the first with a sidecut that narrowed the ski underfoot while the tip and tail remained wider. In the same way as the camber, the sidecut produced a ski that flexed more easily when tipped on edge, so that in a turn its edge followed the shape of the turn instead of skidding sideways. Norheim and his friends formed a small pioneer group of early skiers who improved the ski as they developed the first dynamic turns in downhill running, from 1850 to 1900.
1882: The first hickory skis produced in Norway. Hickory is so hard and tough that it was difficult to work with traditional hand tools. But with modern carbon-steel tools, Norwegian ski makers began turning out hickory skis. The tough wood made it possible to build a thinner, more flexible ski with good strength, and the hard base was less likely to gouge and scar enough to slow the ski down or cause it to sideslip during a downhill run. Hickory was imported at great expense from Louisiana, and Norwegian immigrants in Wisconsin and Minnesota very quickly figured out that, with easier access to lumber stocks, they could make excellent quality hickory skis more cheaply than their friends back in the old country could. By 1887 several Norwegian skimakers, like the Hemmestveit brothers, had relocated to the U.S.
1893: The first two-layer laminated ski was built by H.M. Christiansen, in Norway. Using a tough hickory or ash base with a lighter body of spruce or basswood made for a lighter, springier ski and reduced the need to carve up thick planks of expensive hardwoods. But the flexible hide glues then in use were not strictly waterproof, so the skis tended to delaminate after a few days' hard use.
1905: An alpine unit of the French Army undertook the first series production of a Telemark-style ski in France, at Briancon.
1928: The segmented steel edge, invented by Rudolph Lettner of Salzburg, Austria, gave skis much better grip on hard snow while still allowing the wood to flex naturally. However, the segments had to be screwed into the ski, and tended to come loose. Worse, edge segments could break in two. In that case, it was difficult or impossible to continue skiing. Skiers sometimes carried spare edge segments, along with a screwdriver, screws and glue, to make field repairs.
1928: Solid aluminum ski prototyped in France.
1932: the first successful three-layer laminated skis were invented by Bjørn Ullevoldsaeter in Norway and independently by George Aaland in Seattle. Because they were made with really waterproof casein glues, the skis did not delaminate easily and lasted much longer. When it was found that skis with vertically laminated cores proved lighter, livelier, and stronger, sales took off. The first of these skis were marketed under the Splitkein ("split-cane") label in Norway and as Anderson & Thompson skis in the U.S.
1934: Limited production of solid aluminum ski by M. Vicky in France.
1937: R.E.D. Clark of Cambridge, England, developed the formaldehyde-based adhesive Aerolite to hold airplanes together-- for instance, it was used in the all-wood deHavilland Mosquito bomber. Aerolite phenol glue is still manufactured by Ciba-Geigy.
1944: Cellulix, the first cellulose plastic bottom, made to go on Dynamic skis in France.
1945: The Chance-Vought aircraft company used Aerolite glue to create Metallite, a sandwich of aluminum with a plywood core, for use in airplane skins. Three Chance-Vought engineers, Wayne Pierce, David Richey and Arthur Hunt, used the process to build an aluminum-laminate ski with a wood core. A thousand prototypes were made but the company dropped the project and did not release the patent. It was the first manufactured aluminum ski. It was more easily flexed than a wood ski, less easily broken, scarred or damaged. It did not warp with use.
1946: The Gomme ski was produced by Gomme Ltd in England. A laminated wood core was sandwiched between two top plastic layers and a bottom metal layer. It was the first ski to use three different layered materials. It was good enough to be used by the British Olympic team at St. Moritz in 1948 but eventually went out of manufacture.
1947: Pierce, Richey and Hunt founded TEY Manufacturing to produce the aluminum Alu 60, a two-layer hollow aluminum ski, using the Aerolite bonding process. It had drawbacks: The aluminum base stuck to soft snow and did not hold wax well, and the ski was essentially an undamped spring. The aluminum edges of the bottom plate wore out quickly. It was renamed Truflex in 1948, its second year of production, and TEY shipped 12,000 pairs. But the marketing failed, and the patent was sold to Johnny See-saw. In 1955, the patent ended up with Attenhofer as the Aluflex.
1947: Howard Head, another aircraft engineer, created an aluminum sandwich ski with a lightweight honeycomb core. The aluminum bottom had no steel edges. The ski was too light to track well, and broke easily under bending. It had no edges other than the edges of the bottom sheet. However, it served as a prototype for the later successful Heads.
1948: TEY Tape, a self-adhesive plastic running surface, is invented by the TEY trio. It would adhere to either metal or wood skis. TEY tape did not stick to most snow and it could hold wax. It was sold as part of the Aluflex and also offered through ski shops for application to any ski. Disadvantage: TEY Tape was soft, and relatively easily ripped.
1948: Chris Hoerle of Torrington, Connecticut, created the Chris ski, the first ski with a continuous, low-drag, integral steel edge. This edge was quickly adopted by Head. The Chris ski usually had a TEY tape base but was never brought to market.
1949: Howard Head's plywood-core, pressure-bonded aluminum Head Standard with continuous integral steel edge began its journey toward becoming the most commercially successful early metal ski. It had a plywood core glued under pressure and heat between top and bottom aluminum sheets with plastic sidewalls. The bottom sheet had a continuous full length steel edge. It was the first successful ski made of very different components. The secret to success was a flexible contact cement that allowed the different layers to shear against each other without weakening. Head skis, along with competitors and imitators, supplanted at least half the wood skis by 1960.
1952: The first fiberglass-reinforced plastic ski, the Bud Phillips Ski, was not satisfactory enough to endure. The same applies to both the Holley Ski, created by Dan Holley of Detroit, and the Dynaglass ski by Dale Boison, both introduced in 1955. But these early attempts spread the idea of the possibility of a ski with more liveliness and less vibration than could be achieved with an aluminum ski. Designers saw that a fiberglass ski might be lighter and easier to turn than the best metal skis.
1955: The first polyethylene base is introduced in Austria by Kofler. Kofix proves slippery enough in most snow conditions to eliminate the need for wax. It was easy to repair minor scratches and gouges in it by melting more polyethylene into it. A similar material made by InterMontana in Switzerland was marketed under the brand name P-tex. It was widely adopted by ski factories, and supplanted earlier plastic bases like Cellulix.
1959: The first successful plastic fiberglass ski was invented by Fred Langendorf and Art Molnar, in Montreal, and marketed under the Toni Sailer label. From then on, the concept spread rapidly. By 1968, fiberglass had supplanted both wood and aluminum for use in slalom racing skis and in most recreational skis. Aluminum laminates remained important for all high-speed skis (GS and downhill). Aluminum/fiberglass compound skis proved popular for recreational cruising and for use in deep powder.
1970s: Steady improvement in plastic materials. Prepreg fiberglass construction proves efficient but very expensive. S-glass supplants E-glass in wet lay-ups. Manufacturers mix small quantities of Kevlar, carbon fiber, ceramic fiber and other high-strength materials into fiberglass to help improve strength, resilience, damping, torsion - or simply to improve marketing buzz. Sintered polyethylene begins to supplant extruded polyethylene as a tough, wax-retentive, high-speed base material.
1989: Volant skis, the first commercially manufactured steel ski, introduced by Bucky Kashiwa. The factory failed in 2001 due to high labor costs and production was moved to Austria. Some of the Volant production equipment was bought by David Goode, who uses it to produce a ski made largely of carbon fiber.
1990: Elan and Kneissl build prototypes of deep-sidecut "shaped" skis, escaping from the classic Telemark geometry toward a generation of easy-carving skis.

Ski boom? Oh YEAH!

2010-04-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

WOW. It's like this commercial was meant for me. A yogurt in the eighties called Ski? Or if you prefer the alternative, Diet Ski. It doesn't matter, really. This is amazing. Boom, boom, boom, I can't seem to stop watching this...

The Spirit of Chris Farley lives in EL NINO 2009/2010

2010-04-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, my friend Nora gave me a fish. I named it Farley after Chris Farley since he had recently died the year before in 1997. My mother eventually took care of him and called me horribly sadden the day he died a few years later.

Like the comedy genius of Chris Farley, so is this ski season's El Nino. Living in Southern California, El Nino has been very gracious. So Cal is the center and it's been giving the mountains in the area tons of snow for an EPIC season. Mt. Waterman located in the San Gabriel Mountains was closed for what seemed like an eternity this season since they could not plow the massive pow from the roads. I'll be skiing there for my first time this Saturday, the last weekend they'll be open. However, some other resorts will be open much MUCH more...

Mammoth Mountain announced yesterday that they will be skiable until JULY 4! Happy Independence Day America, and thank you Mammoth.

Thank you El Nino. Thank you Mammoth. Thank you Chris Farley.

Joe the Ski Patroller...

2010-04-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes. It's like the internet is my true best friend these days. All these great finds lately! And here's another:

Well hello Joe! I mean, hello GI Joe Ski Patrol 1965-66 stud doll I wish I had.

I found this gem the other day on a fellow blogspot blog: easilyamusedhardtooffend.blogspot.com. The blog master's (Trisha Too) post was back in 2009. She was trying to sell some items. Oh, if only I stumbled upon this last year!

GI Joe Ski Patroller would be a fun and nice companion, no doubt.

Taste the Wake with SKI!

2010-04-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I think I just hit the jackpot with this find. SKI and Diet SKI are carbonated beverages brought to you by Double-Cola Co. since 1956! They come in 2 flavors: Natural citrus and Cherry. Here's a little blurb about SKI from the Double-Cola Co. website:

"In 1956, the Double-Cola Co. launched another winner. Ski hot the market as the only all-natural citrus carbonated beverage. Made with real orange and lemon juices, Ski has stayed true to it's original formula and integrity. To this day, loyal Ski drinkers admit that the refreshing energy of this drink has no comparison in the market place. Dare to compare and you'll find yourself in that elite group that will go to any length to find Ski."

Make it easy for yourself and become apart of this "elite" drinking group by ordering some SKI or Diet SKI from their website. A 24 pack of Ski (Diet, or Cherry) is only $8.00 (not including shipping and handling)! Talk about a worthy deal if you ask me.

It looks like they'll also be offering t-shirts soon too. Come on, all you avid skiers (and wanna-bees). Time to start drinking like one!

Aksel Lund Svindal goes vintage.

2010-03-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned his name before. This Winter Olympic Games, Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway won a 1, 2, 3 (GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE). He is a sexy beast on skis. He is also humble and seems like a great guy. What you may not know is that he can rock some amazing hair too! Since he is keeping his hair short these days, I near fell off my chair when I found this picture of him in 2003...

Photo: LUDVIG KILLINGBERG

In Oppdal (where Aksel attended ski school) he was honored for outstanding achievement back in 2003, most likely for his 4 medal win at the 2002 World Junior Championships. Well, we all continue to honor him this ski season for his medals at the Olympics and the Mens FIS Alpine World Cup in Val-d'Isère, Savoie, France in 2009.

Make it retro with a Hot Tub Time Machine!

2010-03-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

It's simple, really. Read the ski movie equation for success below:
Skiing + Sex + Humor = Good Times (not the TV Show)

Skiing corn? I thought I was supposed to eat it.

2010-03-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

Getting "back on the mountain" is both fun and confusing, especially learning all the snow community terms. Before my sabbatical, I do not remember terms like EPIC and YARD SALE. Another new term for me is CORN.

The glossary on the community section of SKI.COM defines CORN as:
Snow characterized by its large corn-kernel-sized granules found during the spring.

(Courtesy of snoboy via flikr.com)

As spring skiing approaches this season, I've been reading nothing but upcoming and current corn conditions. Are we farmers or skiers? Skiing the corn seems to be enjoyable but also something to watch out for in regards to difficulties. For instance, I've been sifting through what are some good and bad notes on corn time:

-Don't ski when it's like a rock
-Don't skiing corn conditions in the afternoon when it becomes a melted wet mess
-Do look towards the sun and mountain placement for best conditions (East slopes in morning, South slopes late morning/early afternoon, West slopes in afternoon)
-Do enjoy better corn in the Northwest Sierra's (Tahoe ski resorts like SQUAW VALLEY USA)

Go out and ski some corn! Then, maybe celebrate more with eating some. Perhaps on the cob.

Corn Snow Spring Skiing Backcountry Photos - Wasatch Mountains, Utah.

(Courtesy of tahoecam.com)

Mountain Snap: Can you read the sign?

2010-03-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Another unidentified mountain photo from my one of my parents' European ski adventures in the 1960's. My guess, this is in the Swiss Alps. I tried to secure the location by the sign in the foreground, but is very hard to read. Can you make it out? If so, please let me know!

Holiday Skiing. Just add more alcohol?

2010-03-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Every ski resort seems to have specials most days on and off the slopes. There's even more specials around holiday time, Hallmark holidays included. Of course St. Patrick's Day is no exception with lift tickets and drink specials. For instance, America's Family Resort of Smugglers' Notch in Vermont is offering discounted lift tickets today. Wear green and adults can ski all day for $39, kids for $29. Acclaimed Squaw Valley in Tahoe, CA has specials and more importantly, Lenny The Leprechaun rocking the slopes! If you are lucky to see Lenny, he'll give you a prize out of his gold pot. Now, that may sound suspicious but indeed fun.

Catch that edge, Lenny! (Photo courtesy of Squaw.com)

We all know skiers and snowboarders don't need a holiday to do celebratory damage pre/during/après-ski. Snow enthusiasts have been witnessed drinking beer and doing shots starting at 10AM. Like something's new for St. Patrick's Day? Well as the Irish Pubs open at 6AM today, the bars on mountains still open at 10AM (probably a good thing). Regardless, mountain lovers party hard all the time. Is doing car bombs at the Steeps Bar of McCoy Station on Mammoth Mountain different today? Sure, because today they are "lucky" car bombs. Let's just hope everyone remains safe out there and no one turns the lovely white snow into green stains of upchuck.

But really, keep it safe. You'd think there would be major reports of snow lovers getting overly wasted in high altitudes and causing problems on a day-to-day basis, but au contraire. Are they just used to it? What about the slopes first-timers? Skiers should teach the sloppy drunks today a lesson.

Swoomer Ski Movie Review: Downhill Racer

2010-03-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

In 1969, Robert Redford sealed the deal to becoming a movie star. Not only was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid released, but so was Downhill Racer. It was the film debut of director Michael Richie (Fletch, The Golden Child) and produced by Richard Gregson (married to Natalie Wood, who actually has an uncredited Extra role in the film). Roman Polanski was originally scheduled to direct, but instead switched to direct Rosemary's Baby. Good move, Roman.

The original movie poster and full set of lobby cards

The movie also stars another great movie star, Gene Hackman. Redford, an upcoming cocky ski racer (David Chappellet), joins the US Ski Team mid-season in Europe. Hackman (Eugene Claire) is the team's head coach with also well known actor Dabney Coleman who plays the team's assistant coach. Redford has a fling with actress Camilla Sparv (Carole Strahl) who works for a ski company promoting new skis for the team to race on. Mixing business with pleasure, how usual.

The tagline, "How fast must a man go to get from where's he's at?" almost sounds like a math question. The answer is simple. Fast -- Duh. In the film, Redford's character, a mighty American ski racer from Idaho Springs, Colorado, wins the GOLD medal in the downhill. Like what the movie Major League did for the Cleveland Indians, I believe Downhill Racer did for US Olympic men ski racers. Even though it took fifteen years after Downhill Racer, Bill Johnson took home the GOLD medal for downhill in the 1984 games in Sarajevo. He was the first US man to do so.

Bill Johnson, 1984 (Getty Images)

The movie is entertaining and location beautiful! Shot in Switzerland, Austria, France, and Colorado, the mountain views are majestic and the camera stunt work is smart. They got a camera/stunt man to ski alongside the skiers for in your face shots. Something new and experimental at that time. The best quote of the movie is from a woman reporter interviewing the US Ski team minus Redford. As the men talk about the US women's team training elsewhere, the lady reporter is surprised there are even women who ski race. "Men look stronger in the morning..." Wow. Hello 1969.

Some other fun and memorable quotes I noted:
"I'm here cause I ski and ski fast." -- David (Robert Redford)
"All you had was your skis and that's just not enough." -- Eugene (Gene Hackman)

2009, Criterion Collection DVD

Robert Redford is a stud and playing a ski racer increases his stud status. I've said it before, but people who ski/snowboard tend to be good-looking. Casting Redford was no mistake! If you want a night of ski racing fun with a 60's twist, you'll like this film. The Criterion Collection re-released the film this past November in re-digitized splendor! It includes the restored high-def trailer, interviews, and more. Go get it! It's worthy for any ski film fanatic collection.

Winter Olympics are over. Risk and drama galore!

2010-03-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

A recap of the 21st Winter Olympic Games would be one of risk and drama. Let's face it, all events at the games have risk factors. Skiing, Speed skating, Luging, etc. Those athletes are going fast. Are they going too fast? I read an interesting article in February 26 edition of THE WEEK asking this very question.

Nodar Kumaritashvili, photo by Elise Amendola/AP

The games started on a sad note with the death of the 21 year old Georgian lunger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, who was thrown from the track during a training run before the Opening Ceremonies. Unfortunately, I saw the footage. So you do not have to see it (if you haven't already), he caught a wicked curve and flew off the track and slammed into an unprotected metal pole. A side note: the track in Vancouver is the fiercest and fastest in the world. It wasn't the best way to start off these Winter Olympics and the Canadians did a good job dealing with it. Hey, they're Canadians!

Alexandre Bilodeau, Getty Images

It was great watching Canadian freestyle mogul skier Alexandre Bilodeau be the first Canadian to gold medal on Canadian soil early in the first 10 events. Though, not so much fun watching the mens Canadian hockey team beat the US hockey team in overtime. Grrr. But seriously, the US Ski Team and all US athletes did our country proud and brought home a leading total of 37 medals! 9 GOLD, 15 SILVER, 13 BRONZE. U-S-A! U-S-A!

And there was drama you say? Well, it was extenuated by the media of course. Especially since it was between the US Ski Team's leading ladies Lindsey Vonn and Julie Mancuso. Julia, who won GOLD 4 years ago, won 2 SILVER this year. Lindsey got a GOLD and a BRONZE. So in a nutshell, Julia was flagged on her first defending GOLD Giant Slalom run after Lindsey crashed right before her on the course. By the time Julia got back up the mountain to redo her first run, the course was trashed (I guess she knows how the girls lower on the ladder feel) and left her in 18th place. Julia got emotional and the media brought out Lindsey and Julia's "we're friendly, but not friends" competitive relationship. Julia was defending her GOLD, and got emotional when she didn't perform how she wanted. After Julia's killer 2nd run, she didn't medal and finished in the top 10. I can understand, even though others have pegged her as a drama queen.

Left to Right: Julia Mancuso, Lindsey Vonn (Andrew Mills)

They say Lindsey is the Golden Girl but didn't Julia win GOLD first in 2006? I like both of these fierce ladies, but it seems the media wants to hop into bed with Lindsey. She gets an interview on The Tonight Show, Julia gets the George Lopez Show. I understand Lindsey's the one who got the GOLD this year (and the World Cup), but I hope Julia got the acclaim Lindsey is getting for her GOLD 4 years ago. I don't remember since I wasn't "back on the mountain" yet.

The next Winter Olympic Games are in Sochi, Russia. Getting excited?

Mountain Life: At Sunset

2010-03-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

A picture is worth a thousands words. That is such a worthy statement. Thanks Chinese for your proverb!

This is what I think about when I think about mountain life -- BEAUTIFUL. Even better, this is European mountain life in the 1970's. Just another snap shot from the collection of my parent's ski adventures. This is probably in Austria or Switzerland at sunset. Or could this be sunrise right before hitting the slopes? Enjoy!

Another skier lost. No guts, no glory?

2010-02-26T13:25:00.000-08:00

Since I'm recently "back on the mountain" this ski season, I've been learning more about the ski world and it's players. Especially the ones who have been lost and severely injured. As I entered the mountain world again, the first was Shane McConkey from Squaw Valley USA who died last year in March when his ski base jump went wrong in the Italian Dolomites (He couldn't release one of his skis, went into a uncontrollable bad spin, and then crashed). Shane was 39 years old. Nothing but goodness has been uttered from anyone who's wrote or spoke of Shane. One word that comes to mind is Bodhisattva. Perhaps more enlightened than "Bodhi" in Point Break. And Swayze's character didn't ski THEN jump and sore like a bird.

Shane McConkey, RIP

Just a few days ago another from Squaw Valley was lost, and this time at Squaw. Only 26 years old, Winter X Games freestyler CR Johnson was skiing off a cliff and fell face first into rocks off of Squaw's famous Headwall. The ski community refers to CR as legendary. Like Shane, CR had a hugh heart and good soul which makes the loss even greater. Unbelievable that in 2005, CR almost died after a head injury that left him in a coma and hospitalized for 34 days.

CR Johnson, RIP

As seen in many ski racing and snowboarding crashes (Kevin Pearce of "Frends"), the reminder of skiing/boarding as a dangerous sport echoes very loud. I have a vintage ski Colorado t-shirt (courtesy of my older brother) that reads the famous line: "No Guts, No Glory." Is it all worth the risk? Must you truly be gutsy to obtain all the glory?

Quirky helmet luck for the ladies?

2010-02-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

Excitement is still thriving at the 21st Winter Olympic Games. Some of the recent interest is with the media's coverage of Lindsey Vonn vs. Julia Mancuso (which I will cover soon). In the meantime, fashion on the slopes is looking fierce and fun! I would like to be a winter Olympian just for all the styling free team USA clothes! However while on the slopes, two olympic ski racing ladies maintain forward fashion even on their helmets.

USA's Julia Mancuso has been known for wearing a tiara on the podium, but she also sports one on her racing helmet. For luck? According to Mancuso the tiara "represents believing in yourself and everyone's a princess..." and that "everyone should rock a tiara." Mancuso rocked her tiara on the podium twice for her SILVER medals for Downhill and Combined in Vancouver.

(February 23, 2010 - Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America)

The Slovenian racer, Tina Maze, has also won two SILVER medals in Vancouver but for Super-G and Giant Slalom. Maze's helmet design? And extra set of eyes! Creepy? I'll let you be the judge.

(Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

So is it lucky to have a creative and quirky helmet? Well, these ladies both won double SILVER medals. Perhaps it helped a little of their mental game. At least for silver.

Who's this sexy Norwegian alpine skier?

2010-02-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

AKSEL LUND SVINDAL. That is his name and I plan on wearing it out (sorry Pee Wee).

So far in the 21st Winter Olympic Games, he's won a GOLD (Super-G) and SILVER (Downhill). How many more medals will he win this Winter Olympic Games? He is a beast on skis. Correction -- He is a sexy beast on skis.

Born December 26, 1982 in Norway, he's a two-time winner of the Men's Overall Alpine Skiing World Championship (2007, 2009). In November of 2007, he had a horrific crash in Beaver Creek, CO during a training run for the Birds of Prey Downhill race. In true Viking style, he returned in 2008 and won Downhill and Super-G races at the very place he was injured.

He was raised by his father and number 1 fan, Bjoern, after his mother Ina died when he was eight years old. She was a skier on the European Cup B-Team. His younger brother Simen also skied competitively until 2007. So Aksel, we are both from skiing families, huh?

The next hurdle for this American Ski Bunny is deciding who to cheer for: Aksel or the men's American skiers? Okay, I'll cheer for them all!

Bode, Lindsey, Julia, oh MY!

2010-02-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the second week of the 21st Winter Olympic Games, things are really exciting for Team USA. Especially the USA Ski Team! A quick look at some events and medals delivered so far:

Alpine Skiing:
Bode Miller: GOLD (Combined), SILVER (Super-G), BRONZE (Downhill)
Lindsey Vonn: GOLD (Downhill), BRONZE (Super-G)
Julia Mancuso: SILVER (Downhill), SILVER (Combined)
The young Andrew Weibrecht won his first Olympic medal, BRONZE (Super-G)

Snowboarding:
Shaun White: GOLD (Halfpipe)
Scotty Lago: BRONZE (Halfpipe) -- Left the Games due to "racy" photos with his medal.
Hannah Teter: SILVER (Halfpipe)
Kelly Clark: BRONZE (Halfpipe)

Freestyle Ski:
Hannah Kearney: GOLD (Moguls)
Shannon Bahrke: BRONZE (Moguls)
Byron Wilson: BRONZE (Moguls)

If Bode Miller wins 1 more medal in these here Winter Olympic Games, he will break the record for the most medals won by a male skier in a single Games!

Ted Ligety, who sports pink goggles, has not yet won a medal. He won a GOLD (Combined) in 2006 at Turin. For the sake of his skills and amazing pink goggles, I really hope he gets a medal in Vancouver!

Left to Right: Andrew Weibrecht, Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso

Copper Mountain, you're silly

2010-02-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

Copper Mountain's RIDE SOMETHING NEW deal tells us to "End Mountain Monogamy and Come Get Some!" Aka, the Swinger's Pass, allows people with other season ski resort passes the ability to ski for the day at Copper Mountain (Colorado) for only $39! That's a good deal for a non-college student, thank you! Their commercial is quite funny (I laughed out loud) but it made me sad for the regular girlfriend mountain. Every time I watch it, I try to tell her to stop being so annoying, but she never listens to me.

Good work, Copper! Make me laugh some more please...