Ski your face off...or don't.

Cooke City, MT is the real deal

2015-04-30T15:04:00.000-06:00

Just unloading some photos from a recent trip to Cooke City in February with Beartooth Powder Guides. Full story complete with epic GoPro footy to follow.

Backcountry Freeskier Coupon

2014-10-29T13:02:00.000-06:00

Here's a little treat in honor of the Halloween season.

Visit our website, Backcountry Freeskier, and use this coupon code to receive an additional 10% off our already low prices: 10-more

These discounts are scary!

New shop edit dropped.

2014-02-12T10:57:00.001-07:00

We just dropped out latest shop edit featuring local skiers Jake Fagrelius and Ian Hamilton.

Filmed, produced, and edited by Trimmings Media.

2013-12-03T11:34:00.002-07:00

It's like a glacier...on a much smaller scale.

Missoula premiere of Sherpas Cinema "Into the Mind"

2013-10-08T10:44:00.002-06:00

Ski movie season is in full swing and that means that winter is right around the corner. This is easily the most anticipated ski film of the season.

There will be two showings at The Roxy Theater on the Hip Strip.

Showing #1
Doors 6pm
Film at 7pm

Showing #2
Doors 8pm
Film at 9pm

As always, there will be a raffle. Tickets are only $10 and alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

"This is a story of rising to the ultimate challenge. Having the courage to risk fatal exposure and the perseverance demanded on the quest for achievement. These are not solely physical feats, they are mental conquests. From the creators of the award winning film “All.I.Can”, Sherpas Cinema is proud to present their newest feature film, Into The Mind. With stunning cinematography and groundbreaking storytelling techniques, the Sherpas blur the lines between dream state and reality, and immerse you into the mind of a common skier as he attempts to climb and ski the ultimate mountain. Innovative athlete segments are actually a glimpse into his dreamscape, each one harboring messages that help inform our hero’s current, real-life choices. As you experience the majesty of Alaska, Bolivia, the Himalaya and beyond, Into the Mind paints a philosophical portrait of human kind. How do we balance risk versus reward? Why are we inspired to rise to the challenges in our lives and what do we learn on this journey to attain them?"

Skiers include:
Tom Wallisch
Kye Petersen
Callum Pettit
JP Auclair
Benji Farrow
Johnny Collinson
Ingrid Backstrom
Rory Bushfield
Xavier De La Rue
Mark Abma
Dane Tudor
Ian McIntosh
Dana Flahr
Kris Erickson
Angel Collinson
Austin Ross
Kent Callister
Conrad Anker
Eric Hjorleifson
Izzy Lynch
Jimmy Chin
Renan Ozturk
Matty Richard
Samuel Anthamatten
Karma Tsering

Locations:
Alaska
Bolivia
Himalayas

For more info go to www.intothemindmovie.com

Skiing + Beer = Winning

2012-05-02T11:35:00.000-06:00

What is gelande quaffing you ask? Years ago in Jackson Hole, a few members of the legendary Jackson Hole Air Force were having a some beers at the Bear Claw (now Village Cafe) while waiting out a storm. The story goes that the bartender slid a full mug of beer down the bar to his buddy, who wasn't paying attention, and someone instinctively caught it before it hit the ground and chugged the beer. A new mountain sport was born.

Make sure to watch until the end for the freestyle round.

Rules:
1. Four person teams.
2. One minute for first three rounds, finals are two minutes.
3. Quaffer must be 2 feet from the edge of the bar.
4. Must rotate pitcher and quaffer every pitch.
5. You CANNOT pitch until beer is down and mug touches the bar.
6. You must quaff the beer, not wear it.
7. No puking. Puking results in immediate team disqualification.
8. In the event of a tie, each team will choose one quaffer and one pitcher, and the team with the fastest Gelande Quaff wins.

Scoring:
Round 1: 1 point regular catch, 2 points handle catch.

Round 2: The quaffer must do a 360 between leaving the pitchers hand and the quaffer’s catch. 1 point regular catch, 2 points handle catch.

Round 3: The quaffer must to a 360 OR under the leg catch. 1 point regular catch, 2 points handle catch.

Finals: (2 minutes) each must complete 1 catch of the following: handle catch, 360 catch, and under the leg catch. After the 3 required catches, its time to freestyle. 0 points regular catch, 1 point handle catch, 2 points 360 handle catch, 2 points under the leg, 0-5 points for each freestyle catch (at judges discretion).

Step Up, Throw Down

2012-04-05T12:12:00.006-06:00

1st Annual Cold Smoke Freeride Comp 2012 @ Lost Trail

On Saturday March 24, 2012, UMEM and Backcountry Racks & Skis, in cooperation with Lost Trial Powder Mountain hosted the first annual Cold Smoke Freeride Competition. This single day event was open to skiers and snowboarders, men and women, 18 years and older. The competition was designed to challenge the best skiers and snowboarders in Western Montana to lay down the most challenging lines they can in front of a panel of judges. And boy did they ever!

22 Skiers and Snowboarders competed together and top 3 male and female riders claimed spots on the podium along with a $500 first place cash prize.

Four judges used the following criteria to crown a winner:
-Style/Tricks/Creavitity
-Line Choice/Degree of Difficulty
-Speed/Fluidity

The course was lookers right of Chair 1, an area the locals call the North Shore. The North Shore is loaded with spines and cliff drops. Lost Trail built four jumps on the lower half of the course, a zone called Femur Ridge. Competitors charged lines and dropped as many cliffs as they could before picking out their huge jump to air over Femur Ridge and down to the rope tow.

Lost Trail went to great lengths to keep the course closed Monday-Friday to ensure fresh snow and soft landings for the competition on Saturday.

Music played throughout the day and Lost Trail’s Andrew Shulz MCed the event as only he can. Athletes were treated to food and drinks all day to ensure optimum performance. Spectators were treated to some of the most impressive and intense skiing Montana has seen.

As many as 8 competitors could have walked away with the title. We saw numerous 360s, 720s, and backflips, as well as some HUGE wrecks.

Results
1st Joe Dillon
2nd Shay Lee
3rd Jake Fagrelius

The fun didn’t stop once the lifts stop spinning. Tons of prizes where tossed into crowd and raffled off, including a pair of Liberty Genome 187cm. Music played and beer flowed until 8pm. Everyone left with a prize and a full belly.

Toy Soldier Productions was on hand filming the entire event. Keep your eye out for an edit sometime in the near future. When we get it, we will post it up.

Many generous sponsors donated tons of killer prizes for the athletes and the spectators raffle. We would like to sincerely thank all of the sponsors who made this event possible: Lost Trail Powder Mountain, University of Montana Entertainment Management Program, Backcountry Racks & Skis, Liberty Skis, Discrete Headwear, 4FRNT, MFD All Time, Bern Helmets, Moment Skis, Toy Soldier Productions, Big Sky Brewery, and Saga Outerwear.

Look for the next Cold Smoke Freeride Comp to be held in February 2013.

Very happy winner Joe Dillon

Enjoying the after party

About to go huge!

Joe Dillon’s winning run

Spinning off A Cliff

Whoever held up the beers the longest won the pair of skis

The DJs

Course description

David Steele

Joe Dillon airing out

The course

Male Winners: 1^st Joe Dillon, 2^nd Shay Lee, 3^rd Jake Fagrelius

Happy winners

Downing Mountain Lodge is rad!

2012-03-20T15:04:00.007-06:00

If you don't know about Downing Mountain Lodge, now you know. Downing has everything you need for the perfect ski trip: deep snow, great terrain, huge fireplace, lots of beds, wifi, flat screen tv, hot tub, shower, electricity, heat... I could on and on about the amenities, but I'll let you go to their website to see for yourself. After all, its the skiing that matters, and the skiing is killer.

The lodge located in the Bitterroot Mountains just west of Hamilton, MT. A short 45 minute skin from the parking lot takes you to the circular lodge, which used to be the Grubstake Restaurant. Upon arriving you can't help but notice the commercial kitchen you get to cook in.

We arrived to tons of fresh snow, but high avalanche warnings. There is tons of terrain and tons of safe terrain, which is where we spent our time. From the lodge you skin up 2000 ft to the ridge. From there you can lap a number of runs. At the end of the day its a long run back to the front door.

The lodge is super kid friendly and dogs are allowed. The owner runs a great blog with tons of ski beta for the area. I cannot recommend this place enough. Go now, and thank me later.

Sleep where you lay.

The groms loved the piano.

Short snow pit video:

Now on to the skiing. Short version here:

Long version here:

2012 Tradeshow Wrap Up

2012-03-20T14:37:00.000-06:00

Every year the ski industry gathers in Denver, CO for the Snowsports Industry of America (SIA) trade show. It’s the biggest winter tradeshow in North America dedicated to ski and snowboard gear. Ski shop employees, sponsored athletes, media types, bloggers, product reps, manufacturers, and magazine publishers make up the bulk of the attendees.

The show is always the last week of January, which is right in the middle of the current winter season. Yet, somehow, we need to switch gears and focus on gear for the upcoming 2012-13 season. It’s a tricky mix as we don’t fully even know what the best sellers are for this season, much less next season.

We loaded up the Subaru Outback early Friday morning for the 13+ hour drive to Denver. Fueled by red bull, mountain dew, and gas station corn dogs, we arrive at our hotel late. We knew Saturday was going to be super busy and we were drained.

Saturday and Sunday were spent running from appointment to appointment all over the giant convention center. We talk about skis, grab catalogs, and take photos. Our backpacks get heavier with each appointment. Thankfully at the end of each day, beers are cracked and its time to relax. We get to talk with friends about skiing, and not just skis.

It’s after SIA, that the real fun begins. On Sunday afternoon all of the vendors tear down their booths and displays and pack it up to Winter Park ski resort for two days of on snow testing. This is the single most important part of the trip. Everything looks good on paper, but does it translate to the mountain. We are about to find out.

The snow looks grim as we pull into Winter Park. WP is known for two things: groomers and moguls. While both can be fun, neither are ideal for our testing purposes. The next two days yield no new snow and very little sun. But we make the best of it, laying out the biggest turns we can on the biggest skis we can find. WP keeps us fed with breakfast burritos, brats, and Coors Light (we are in Colorado after all). No complaints from this crowd.

The drive back to Missoula is spent looking over catalogs and making notes. We have some big decisions to make for the ski wall next season. We also have to make those decisions in March, so the manufacturers can set their production levels. Boring stuff, I know.

Some highlights:

Moment added a 187cm length to both the Belafonte and Jaguar Shark.

Moment introduced the Death Wish, a wide ski with multiple cambers.

Liberty introduced the Variant, a charging, big mountain ski.

4FRNT introduced the Hoji, a more versatile version of the Renegade.

4FRNT introduced the Cody, a lightweight backcountry ski with rocker.

4FRNT introduced an adjustable backcountry ski pole and climbing skins with silicone instead of glue.

Tyrolia introduced the Adrenalin, an alpine touring binding.

Line added a 192cm length to the Opus and Influence 115.

MFD introduced a touring plate that is compatible with Marker bindings.

Mammut introduced a whole line of avalanche airbag packs.

Some low lights:

Moment discontinued the Comi and Donner Party.

4FRNT discontinued the EHP.

Marker increased the price of the Jester Pro.

Final impressions. If you continue to shy away from a “wide” pair of skis because you think they can’t carve, get over it. Big skis have as much sidecut as skinny skis, and they rip! We were able to ski every ski from Moment, 4FRNT, Line, Liberty, and Faction that was on our radar. We can safely say that we have skied every ski that will make it into the shop next fall. I don’t think most ski shops can say that.

We will also renew our dedication to the backountry with some lighter skis and more touring bindings next season.

We always come away from the show with some funny stories (like paying $8 for a Subway $5 footlong), a couple freebies, and 50 lbs of catalogs. We love attending SIA, skiing new gear and seeing familiar faces. Can’t wait to do it again next year.

Stay tuned to our facebook page for more updates, photos, and videos of the new 2012-13 gear. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Backcountry-Freeskier/289613027172)

Mammut Airbag pack

Liberty Double Helix & Helix

Liberty Variant

Von Zipper goggles

Tyrolia Adrenalin alpine touring binding

4FRNT Renegade & Hoji

4FRNT Aretha women's ski

MFD All Time touring plate is now compatible with Marker

Faction Agent 100 & Agent 90

Moment Outerwear

Moment Bibby & Governor

Line Opus & Sir Francis Bacon

Moment Deathwish

4FRNT Hoji

4FRNT Cody

Very Proud Parent

2012-01-18T14:30:00.001-07:00

We took our son skiing for the first last week at Lost Trail. I picked up some gear at the SOS Ski Swap in the fall. He has boots that are too big for him, and 67cm skis, which are the perfect size. He loves snow and rarely gets cold. The only problem, is that he's only 21 1/2 months old. He's probably too young and we don't want to push him into a bad experience. But the thought of waiting another year to put him on skis wasn't pleasant. We love to ski so we figured, why not? If he hates it, we will stop and try another time.

I started skiing at the age of 8. I had to wait until my brother was 5, so we could learn together and all go skiing as a family. I never learned to snowplow. What I mean is, I didn't learn to ski using the snowplow, or leashes, or anything to hold my tips together. I just learned how to ski straight and fast. When I wanted to stop, I fell over. Not ideal, but I learned how to fall without getting hurt.

We teach what we know, so that's how I taught our son to ski. No snowplow and no learning aides.

Keep in mind that this was his first time in his ski boots and his first time on skis. He knows what skis are and he has skied on my back before, but never on his own.

Playing with Mommy and Daddy's skis (@ 9 months old)

Lolo Pass (@ 9 months old)

He absolutely loved it! He was literally laughing the entire time. He picked it up immediately. Well, he actually fell after only a few feet, but he laughed and got right back up and asked to "Go Fast." Which he did, again and again. It was the perfect ski day.

Saturday at Lost Trail went so well that we went to Snowbowl the very next day. Expectations were still a little low. He may not like it on Sunday. He may not improve.

Wrong. He loved it even more and skied more runs. He was still laughing and having a blast. And so were we. No pizza for this kid. Just french fries.

I don't know if I have ever been so happy or proud (wedding day, and his birth immediately come to mind).

This winter hasn't shaped up like we all hoped it would, but watching my boy, was one of the greatest ski days of my life. I can't wait for the next one.

Short Version

Long Version

Christmas Tree Harvest 2011

2011-12-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

Every year we get a tree to decorate for the holidays. It’s a fun tradition. It’s also a good excuse to put our ornament collection on display. We have tons ornaments from our childhood and ones we have collected ourselves. We have snowflakes, cowgirls, Homer Simpson drinking Duff, skis, Santa playing soccer, nutcrackers, and many, many more.

Sometimes we buy a tree and sometimes we cut our own. We are slowly making it our annual tradition to cut our own the week after Thanksgiving. The sooner we get it done, the more time we have to ski, and enjoy our tree of course.

After an extensive email chain with a dozen friends and spouses, we had a plan. Meet at noon at the Safeway lot and head up to Lolo Pass. We picked up tree tags for $5 at the Ranger Station and parked in the upper lot on the Montana side.

We quickly built a small (and by small I really mean large) fire and cracked a few beers. The dogs played in the snow and dug holes looking for sticks to fetch. My little boy loved to jump into the holes the dogs left.

After a few hours of swapping ski stories and making plans for future ski trips, it was time to get down to business. We had to bring a tree home. We like the Charlie Brown style tree, not the Clark Griswold style tree. Lolo Pass is full of Charlie Brown trees and we found one quickly. It didn’t long to haul it out and tie it to the roof. The sun was setting and it was time to head home.

But no trip to Lolo Pass is complete without a stop at the LumberJack. The lot was full and almost every vehicle had a tree strapped to the roof. We ordered some food and settled in to watch some football by the fire.

Not a bad way to start the holiday season.

First Turns of the Season

2011-11-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

It was hard to image a better ski day, especially considering it was my first day on skis since May. Lookout Pass, Lost Trail Pass, and Lolo Pass had all picked up 16-24" in the past week. Lookout Pass opened for the season on November 18th. I was super jealous of all of stories of great early season ski days. It was time to make some turns of my own.

Work and family obligations prevented me from skiing until Sunday. I was worried I had missed out on all the fun. I was wrong.

We left Missoula at 8am and headed up Lolo Pass. We were excited to ski, but expectations were pretty low. At the very least we knew we would get some exercise and fresh air.

Portions of the road were snow covered and the snow level was much lower than we thought it would be. We became a little more optimistic. There were no cars in the pullout and the previous tracks were almost completely filled in.

The clouds slowly gave way to blue skies as we started skinning. It had turned into a picture perfect day.

We took three laps. The snow was light and deep. Temps stayed in the 20s all day long. Despite all of the obvious logs, stumps, and rocks littering Lolo Pass, we didn't hit anything.

My dog, Pika, was chest deep every step of the way. She loves the snow and loves chasing me down the mountain. She would have much preferred our day ended after our second lap though. It was her first day of the season too and I have not been able to run her as much I usually do. We both need to get in better shape.

It ended up being very memorable day. Not just a good early season day, just a good ski day. Here's to many more this season.

A seat at the round table.

2011-11-18T10:37:00.004-07:00

The Marker Duke, Baron, Tour F12 and the new Jester Pro look like one big happy family.

The Jester Pro has several added features that make it the ultimate binding for the competitive freeskier. With an 18 DIN range, The Jester Pro is burly enough to take the biggest hits you can stomp. The toe features a horizontal torsion bar reinforcement, enhancing the power transmission and lateral precision. The Jester Pro's AFD is fixed, which increases both retention and power transmission.

If you shred harder than your bros, you need to be on the Jester Pro.

“The Jester Pro is exactly what the professional freeskiing community has been waiting for. This binding has the weight and specifications that meet the needs of skiers on supremely challenging and diverse mountain terrain.This binding can handle it all,” said freeskier Dash Longe. “The last thing I ever want to worry about is losing a ski. With the Jester Pro, I don’t.”

The Jester Pro has quickly proven itself on the competition circuit, with some impressive results:

Russ Henshaw, Silver Medal – X Games Slopestyle, January 29, 2011
JF Houle, Gold Medal – Euro X Games, March 17, 2011
Nick Goepper, Winner – Dumont Cup, March 26, 2011

Gear Review: MFD All Time touring plate

2011-11-17T12:02:00.016-07:00

This is the first in our series of gear reviews to be rolled out all winter long.

MFD is changing the way we can use our alpine ski bindings, and for the better. The Salt Lake City based company has designed a system that allows skiers to use their existing downhill bindings (Tyrolia, 4FRNT, Rossignol, Look, Atomic, Salomon, and Liberty) as alpine touring bindings to ski backcountry stashes and resort sidecountry. We’ve been waiting for this.

MFD has combined what we love about alpine bindings and touring bindings. We love the performance and security of our alpine bindings. We also love the ability to free the heel on AT bindings. But we are continually faced with tough decisions. Do you shoulder your skis, use snowshoes, or alpine trekkers to tour the backcountry? That is not a fun day. Can you trust your AT bindings to ski super hard and take a beating? Not 100% of the time. So we are forced to sacrifice performance or function. Those days are over now, thanks to the All Time touring plate. The MFD All Time is the first touring binding that you can trust to ski any mountain, anywhere, ALL-THE-TIME (hence the name).

The All Time is a plate that you mount to your ski, and your alpine bindings mount to the plate. Each plate is pre-drilled for specific bindings. You now have the performance and durability of an alpine binding with the ability to tour the backcountry. It’s the best of both worlds.

I had a chance to ski the All Time last winter and was immediately convinced. You can't even notice the plate when you are skiing. The ski flexes as it should and everything feels full locked in. The conditions were less than ideal. We skied hardpack at high speeds. Not something I ever like to do in my touring bindings. While I did not get a chance to tour on the All Time, I did unlock the heel on the way to the chairlift. The stride felt natural and the climbing was super easy to engage.

I realize the All Time may not be for everyone, but it definitely has its place. Anyone who has a compatible binding can get an easy touring upgrade and use all of their existing gear. That’s a nice convenience. And for those interested in exploring resort backcountry gates, the All Time gives them the freedom to do so.

All Time with 4FRNT Deadbolt 13

For those of you who like to geek out on techy stuff, here are some important specs.

-Three climbing bar positions: O, 6 and 14 degree. No other AT binding on the market has a 14 degree climbing bar.
-Weight per side: 600g or 1.6 lbs.
-Construction: 6061 T6 aluminum, Dupont Zytel
-Free Floating Chop Block (All Time heel piece) allows the ski to flex more naturally
-Pole activated climbing bar is truly easy to use, unlike the similar claims from other companies that turn out to be false.
-Lowest stand height of all DIN AT bindings.

The MFD All Time is compatible with the following alpine bindings:

Tyrolia Peak T.H. 15, X T. H. 18
4FRNT Deadbolt 13, 15, 18
Liberty 515 Freeride
Head Mojo 11, 12, 15, 18
Salomon STH Driver 12/14/16, STH 12/14
Atomic FFG Team
Rossignol FKS 140/180
Look Pivot 14/18

I’m sure you are all asking, “How much does the system weigh compared to other AT bindings?”

Binding Weight Comparison Per Side (not per pair):
Marker Duke Large with 110mm brake - 3.0 lbs.
Marker Baron Large with 110mm brake - 2.8 lbs.
Marker Tour F12 with 110mm brake – 2.2 lbs.
Naxo NX 22 Large with 100mm brake - 2.8 lbs.
MFD All Time plate Large - 1.6 lbs.
MFD All Time plate Large + Tyrolia 15 DIN binding with 115mm brake - 4.0 lbs.

Concerns about the durability of such a new product? Fear not. The All Time has been tested by pro skiers Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Chris Benchetler and Daron Rahlves, along with many industry insiders for the past year. They all say its good enough for them. I know I will be mounting the All Time touring plate on a pair of my skis very shortly.

Backcountry Racks & Skis will have a pair of Liberty Double Helix 182cm skis mounted with 4FRNT Deadbolt 13 bindings and the MFD touring plate for customers to test out all winter long.

Best of all, MFD manufacturers the All Time in the USA. For more info check out the MFD website.

Fall...our 2nd favorite season.

2011-11-05T07:07:00.000-06:00

There's nothing quite like fall. You can't taste it or smell, but you can definitely feel it. Temps drop below freezing at night, days get shorter and darker, and the leaves start to fall. We slowly start to put away our bikes and kayaks as the peaks start looking whiter and whiter. We finally get to wear pants again, along with our favorite cozy clothing. Sometimes we even look forward to spending a lazy weekend at home with hot coca and warm soup. Fall is the perfect transition to winter, our favorite season.

Nothing matches the collective anticipation we all share for winter, and more importantly, skiing. And, believe it or not, it all starts as early as August. That's when the ski magazine gear guide issues hit your mailbox. Its also when all of the ski movie trailers hit your inbox or facebook wall. If you weren't thinking about skiing in August, you are now. If only there were something to tide us over until the chairlifts spin. There is.

An endless parade of ski movie premieres come to town from September to November. From big mountain skiing, to urban jibbing, to snowboarding, to tele turning. There is a movie for everyone, and you always leave the theater more excited to ski. Ski movies provide the stoke we have all be lacking since last season, and just in time.

As early as Labor Day ski shops hold preseason sales and people stop in just to ogle the latest and greatest gear for the upcoming season. We throw down hard earned cash for a seasons pass. Plans are made for numerous trips. It's all starting to come together. The anticipation is at an all time high.

All there is left to do is to pray for snow. Parties take place all over the world sacrificing old ski equipment to the snow gods. Regardless of the amount of snow that has yet to fall, a pray for snow party is really about swapping stories and remembering seasons past with friends and family.

Many folks look to winter as the start, or end, to their current employment cycle. Some work tirelessly to save up and be unemployed during the winter in order to ski everyday. Others look forward to working at a ski resort or ski shop.

Now is the time to grab and beer and retreat to the garage or basement. There's important work to be done. Your boards must be finely tuned and freshly waxed. You never know when the first turns will be coming. Be ready.

So, let's all raise our glasses to Ullr. May this winter be our favorite of all time. Cheers.

Here is a little more ski porn for your enjoyment.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T11:22:00.000-06:00

Eric Hjorleifson is the best there is.

2011-10-25T14:46:00.000-06:00

Hoji skis the biggest lines at impressive speeds with ease. He is fluid and technical. There is nothing he can't do on a pair of skis.

The 27 year old has been in a ton of major ski flicks since 2005. But Eric is more than just a skier. He is a designer and builder. As part owner of 4FRNT Skis out of Salt Lake City, Eric designed the popular EHP and the uber popular Renegade. Both skis will the change the way you ski powder.

The Renegade is hand-built by Eric himself. In fact, Eric signs each core right before it goes into the press. These skis are a work of art.

The Canmore, Alberta native doesn't just ski for cameras. He spends much of his winter earning his turns in the backcountry.

Eric is also a super down-to-earth guy who I had the pleasure to share a chairlift with last winter. We chatted about the day and our skis. Just like you would with any other skier.

For those of you who don't believe me or disagree with me, I present exhibit A and B.

Enough said.

Ski Pass Fundraising has begun

2011-10-21T13:43:00.002-06:00

If you would like to help support the blog and our ski habits, visit the online store. No pressure. Thanks for looking.

A super fun way to spend a few hours.

2011-10-17T17:30:00.000-06:00

Ski Movie Music is an online database for the soundtrack to every ski movie since 1996. If you are anything like us, when you hear a song on the radio, it triggers a ski movie scene in your mind. And if you can't recall the skier or the movie, it drives you nuts. Well Ski Movie Music has all the answers you seek, young jedi.

Want to know what song is in Wiley Miller's segment in Enjoy? They have it.

Want to know the opening song in The Way I See It? They have that too.

Want to know what artist has the most songs in ski movies? You get the idea.

You can search by production company, skier, artist, or movie title.

The website is set up with an iTunes interface to preview and buy every song. Its a genius idea and super convenient.

Spend a few hours listening and downloading your favorite ski music. You can thank me later.

Even better than the Smith Limo. Way better.

2011-10-14T13:12:00.000-06:00

The rail truck was created by River Lucas when he was still in high school in Missoula.

Look for it to be parked at ski resorts, events, and comps all winter long.

Everyone likes free stuff, right?

2011-10-12T12:09:00.000-06:00

We hope this will be the first of many contests throughout the winter (hint, hint. subscribe to the blog).

Just post a comment below and you will be automatically entered to win a pair of Moment Belafonte ski poles. Post whatever you want, just don't be an ass.

The lucky winner will be selected at random on Sunday.

Today's grudge match: Moment Bibby vs. 4FRNT CRJ

2011-10-11T11:09:00.000-06:00

Which would you choose as your daily drive out west?

2011-10-10T12:52:00.001-06:00

The Snow Gods provided the moisture Friday night at the 5th Annual Burning Dog Pray For Snow Party, but the Montana weather wasn't quite cold enough to turn the rain into snow. Although after some cold beer, excellent quaffing comp, a great film by Powderwhore Productions, and an excellent sacrificial burning of the dog, I have a strong feeling our second cycle of La Nina was kicked off right!

Props to the true die hard ski community that braved the elements at the festival Friday night to show their support to the West Central Montana Avalanche Center! Great atmosphere even in less then perfect conditions. I expected a bigger turnout though Missoula! You do know where you stored your winter gear right?

Bonus points for catching the beer by the handle and the arial foam fountain to the face!

How its made

2011-10-10T12:47:00.000-06:00

Its time to geek out on some ski construction techniques and factory tours. Have Fun.

Moment skis

Line skis

Poor Boyz Productions Triple Threat Tour comes to ZooTown

2011-10-05T12:16:00.000-06:00

Thursday October 13th

Wilma Theater

131 South Higgins

Missoula, MT

7:00PM: Doors
7:30PM: Oakley 1242 Productions The Ordinary Skier
9:00PM: Poor Boyz Productions The Grand Bizarre
21+ After Party to follow

$10 - Zoo Crew and UM Backcountry Ski Club (with club id)
$12 - Advanced (see info below)
$15 - Doors

ADVANCED TICKETS: Backcountry Racks & Skis