Utah Snow Reports

K2 Skis Unveils Grom Inspired Website For Young Ski Addicts

2010-10-02T06:30:00.001-07:00

K2 Skis Unveils Grom Inspired Website For Young Ski Addicts

K2 Sports launched its youth focused, destination website today – K2Groms.com. The website is a platform for the K2 Brand to communicate its message and goals with the future’s best of skiing and snowboarding while creating a fun, educational portal for little rippers.

SEATTLE, Wash. — K2 Sports has launched a new youth focused website called K2Groms.com that the company says is a platform for the K2 Brand to communicate with the future’s best of skiing and snowboarding while creating a fun, educational portal for little rippers.
The site features a gaming area with three K2 specific games, a video portal that showcases video content from all K2 brands, an online store to purchase K2 Groms gear and a membership area that enables kids to select their own K2 Groms avatar, register to become an official K2 Grom, and receive a free K2 Groms sticker pack and membership card.

Possibly Related Posts:

Tweet This Post

This entry was posted on October 2, 2010 at 6:27 am and is filed under Gear. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Utah long range weather forecast

2010-10-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

Southwest U.S.
Long Range Weather Forecast for October 1st - November 30th

Includes California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona

October 2010
1st-3rd. Unsettled.
4th-7th. Gusty winds, showers.
8th-11th. Fair, chilly.
12th-15th. Milder, then showers.
16th-19th. Mostly fair.
20th-23rd. Unsettled from West Coast east.
24th-27th. Clearing, turning colder.
28th-31st. Unsettled, showery.
November 2010
1st-3rd. Pleasant most sections, except turning stormy for Utah.
4th-7th. Clearing, cold.
8th-11th. Pleasant, then unsettled with gusty winds, precipitation. Some wet snow Nevada, Utah, northern Arizona.
12th-15th. Fair.
16th-19th. Gusty winds, heavy precipitation, snow for Utah.
20th-23rd. Fair, cold.
24th-27th. Light snows for Nevada, Utah, parts of Arizona, then fair, cold.
28th-30th. Fair at first, then stormy. Snowstorm Utah, showers, thunderstorms Arizona.

Utah Snow Reports end of the 2009 / 2010 season

2010-10-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

Utah Snow Reports for the end of the 2009 / 2010 season

Resort Name	Weather	New Snow	Surface	Open Terrain	Events / Links
Alta, UT April 25, 2010 05:44	45	Apr 24: 4"	Packed Powder - Variable Conditions Base 112" - 112"	84 of 114 trails open 1600 of 2200 acres open 3 of 11 lifts running 70% open	web cam trail map

Beaver Mountain, UT March 29, 2010 09:15	46		Base 53" - 53"	48 of 48 trails open 664 acres open 6 of 6 lifts running 0% open	web cam trail map

Brighton, UT April 18, 2010 06:40	36	Apr 14: 6"	Spring Conditions Base 109" - 109"	66 of 66 trails open 1050 acres open 7 of 7 lifts running 100% open	web cam trail map

Deer Valley, UT April 11, 2010 05:18	34	Apr 07: 8"	Packed Powder - Powder Base 112" - 112"	100 of 100 trails open 2026 acres open 21 of 21 lifts running 100% open	web cam trail map

Park City, UT April 18, 2010 06:05	56	Apr 14: 3"	Spring Conditions - Variable Conditions Base 64" - 90"	65 of 110 trails open 3300 acres open 8 of 16 lifts running 70% open	web cam trail map

The Canyons, UT April 11, 2010 07:10	45	Apr 07: 4"	Variable Conditions - Spring Conditions Base 78" - 98"	153 of 167 trails open 3411 of 3700 acres open 17 of 18 lifts running 92% open	web cam trail map

Powder Mountain, UT April 11, 2010 11:16	48		Packed Powder - Spring Conditions Base 69" - 90"	124 of 124 trails open 5500 acres open 7 of 7 lifts running 100% open	web cam trail map

Snowbasin, UT April 18, 2010 05:31	62	Apr 14: 1"	Spring Conditions - Variable Conditions Base 42" - 87"	75 of 113 trails open 1700 of 3200 acres open 3 of 10 lifts running 60% open	web cam trail map

Snowbird, UT June 11, 2010 09:52			Spring Conditions Base 80" - 80"	70 of 85 trails open 2500 acres open 2 of 12 lifts running 82% open	web cam trail map

Solitude, UT April 18, 2010 06:37	55	Apr 14: 6"	Spring Conditions Base 102" - 102"	40 of 65 trails open 1200 of 1200 acres open 5 of 8 lifts running 70% open	web cam trail map

Sundance, UT April 05, 2010 08:17	38	Apr 04: 7"	Base 67" - 67"	42 of 42 trails open 450 acres open 4 of 4 lifts running 0% open	web cam trail map

Brian Head, UT April 17, 2010 06:29		Apr 13: 6"	Packed Powder - Powder Base 65" - 65"	65 of 65 trails open 650 acres open 8 of 8 lifts running 100% open	web cam trail map

Wolf Creek Utah, UT March 18, 2010 11:51	57		Base 30" - 40"	20 of 20 trails open 0 acres open 4 of 4 lifts running 0% open	web cam trail map

Soldier Hollow XC, UT March 28, 2010 14:13	0		Base 0" - 0"	0 of 0 trails open 0 acres open 0 of 0 lifts running 0% open	trail map

* snow report data provided by SnoCountry.com

Winter snow prediction 2010 2011

2010-10-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

Winter Forecast 2010-2011: Heavier Snow for Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit, Normal Snowfall for NYC, Philly and D.C.

The major metropolitan areas of the mid-Atlantic that were pummeled with snow last year will get a break this winter, but that doesn't mean there will be no snow to shovel. In contrast, Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis could be in the heaviest snow zone this upcoming winter.

Winter's Worst Cold and Snow
Overall, AccuWeather.com Chief Long-Range Meteorologist Joe Bastardi is predicting that the worst of winter's cold and snow will be from the Pacific Northwest into the northern Plains and western Great Lakes. That will put cities like Portland and Seattle that escaped with a very nice winter last year, colder and snowier this year. Fargo and Minneapolis to Green Bay will also receive above-normal winter snowfall.
Other cities predicted to receive above-normal winter snowfall include Chicago, Omaha, Minneapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Seattle and Portland.
Bastardi predicts severe cold will hit Alaska and western and central Canada.
"The Canadian winter will be as harsh as last year's was gentle," Bastardi said.
Wintry Battle Zone But No Snowmageddon
In general, the East Coast will be granted a reprieve from the tremendous snowfall that caused 2009-2010's winter to be dubbed "snowmageddon."
This does not mean a free pass for the Northeast. Bastardi predicts late November and December could get winter off to a fast start in the East, with a major thaw coming for much of the country in January.
Bastardi makes the early cold connection between this year's active hurricane season and his winter forecast.
He said that years that see significant landfall, such as 1995, 2008 and 2005, usually also have cold for much of the eastern and central portions of the nation in December.
He said this year from the central Rockies to the Northeast a higher variance of temperatures will be present - "greater-than-normal swings between winter's coldest and warmest days." The conflicting warm and cold air masses contributing to these temperature fluctuations have placed this area into what Bastardi calls the "Wintry Battle Zone."
Despite the wild swings in temperatures, cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., will still have near-normal snowfall. To put this in perspective, New York City receives an average of 28.4 inches of snowfall during winter.
Warmer and Drier South
The South and southern Plains will escape the worst of the winter weather with warmer and drier conditions compared to last year. Dallas, which received near-record snowfall last year, will be lucky to get normal snowfall this year.
While these areas will be warmer and drier, this does not preclude the southern Plains and South from the threat of a couple of ice storms, as cold air tries to intrude southward.
The best weather this winter will be in Florida. Bastardi suggests that Florida will be a great winter destination, with warmer-than-normal temperatures all winter long. We will also see warmer weather all along the Gulf coast, which could help the beach resorts recover from the economic downturn associated with the oil spill.
Southern California May Suffer from Drought
Southern California and portions of the Southwest could be threatened by a severe drought and high danger for wildfires, as Bastardi predicts a much drier-than-normal winter season for the region.
According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist and West Coast Expert Ken Clark, strict water management for Southern California could result come next spring and summer.
However, Bastardi predicts that from San Francisco and areas to the north, there could be more precipitation.
"This may be a great winter for building the Pacific Northwest and Canada snowpack, which is opposite of last winter," said Bastardi.
Temperatures this Winter
Temperature-wise, Bastardi is forecasting slightly higher-than-normal temperatures (0.5 to 1 degree warmer) for Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City.
Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City and Minneapolis will be a degree or so cooler than average, while much of the western part of the nation may see temperatures that dip a couple of degrees.
Bastardi said Salt Lake City could be as much as 1-3 degrees colder, while Denver will be about 2 degrees below normal and both San Francisco and Los Angeles will have temperatures about 1.5 degrees cooler.
Above-normal snowfall is predicted for the Great Basin region, the Northwest and northern Plains, while the South and Southwest will get less snow than average.
Story by Kirstie Hettinga, Carly Porter and Henry Margusity, AccuWeather.com Staff Writers.
See how AccuWeather.com Facebook Fans are reacting to the 2010-2011 Winter Forecast.

Related to the Story:
Early Southwest Winter Outlook
Visit our Facebook Fan Page
Follow us on Twitter Breaking Weather

forecasters say Winter could be a whopper,

2010-10-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

Winter could be a whopper, forecasters say

By Sandi Doughton

Seattle Times science reporter

PREV of NEXT

ELAINE THOMPSON / AP (2008)

A Metro bus is routed around a tree that fell across Highway 99 in north Seattle in December of 2008, following more overnight snow.

Are we in for this again?

The mere mention of snow will have many in Seattle remembering December 2008, when a series of storms over two weeks brought repeated snowfall, paralyzing the city during the holiday-shopping season. Metro Transit service was reduced by about half, and who can forget the famous scene in which two charter buses slid down a Capitol Hill street and dangled precariously over Interstate 5?
Snow this winter could bring the first significant test of Seattle's new snow- and ice-removal plan, including the use of salt, which previously was avoided because of environmental concerns.

The most intense La Niña conditions since 1955 are brewing near the equator, raising the odds of a wild winter in the Pacific Northwest.
Meteorologists say more rain, colder temperatures and bigger snowstorms are likely.
"There's the potential for whoppers — but no guarantees," Washington state Climatologist Nick Bond said Thursday at a National Weather Service briefing.
The snow that paralyzed much of the Puget Sound region during the winter of 2008-2009 is one example of what a La Niña pattern can produce.
"La Niña winters are snowy winters," said Brad Colman, National Weather Service meteorologist-in-charge for Seattle. "Skiers and departments of transportation should be paying attention."
The flip side of the more-famous El Niño pattern, La Niñas occur when the ocean near the equator becomes colder than usual. Current temperatures are the coldest for this time of year since the Eisenhower administration.
Computer models predict the pattern will continue, and possibly strengthen, throughout the season, Colman said.
Ocean temperatures affect air circulation. Those patterns in turn tweak the strength and location of the jet stream that brings the Northwest much of its weather.
Generally, La Niña winters start out wet, with fairly average temperatures, said University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass. By January, temperatures plunge and snowfall increases.
"We could end up with a snow-free Thanksgiving, but no one should think that means anything," Mass said. "We tend to have the big snow buildup after the new year, both in the mountains and the lowlands."
Floods are possible, particularly early in the season.
The La Niña year of 2007 brought drenching rains to southwest Washington, closing Interstate 5 for several days. But though wetter overall, the majority of La Niña years are not marked by major floods, said National Weather Service hydrologist Brent Bower. That's because the powerful storms that trigger most Northwest floods are more common during so-called neutral years — when there's neither a La Niña nor El Niño.
The risk of flooding in the Green River basin is much lower this year, thanks to improvements at Howard Hanson dam, said Larry Schick, meteorologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Seepage from the dam raised fears last winter, but installation of a grout curtain within the weakened embankment has bolstered the structure. Improvements to a drainage tunnel that are expected to be finished by next fall should lower the risk even more, Schick said.
"We're not out of the woods completely ... , but the situation has improved."
Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or sdoughton@seattletimes.com

Better Snowfall Forecasting

2010-08-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

Better Snowfall Forecasting

Weather Service Adopts U of Utah Powder Prediction Method

Media Contacts

Feb. 22, 2010 - University of Utah scientists developed an easier way for meteorologists to predict snowfall amounts and density - fluffy powder or wet cement. The method has been adopted by the National Weather Service for use throughout Utah - and could be adjusted for use anywhere.
Based on a study of 457 winter storms during eight years at 9,644 feet in the Wasatch Range at Utah's Alta Ski Area, the researchers determined that forecasters could predict snowfall density - known as snow-to-liquid ratio (SLR) - most accurately using only two variables: temperatures and wind speeds at mountain crest level.
The American Meteorological Society is publishing the study in the February issue of its journal Weather and Forecasting.
"We've developed a formula that predicts the water content of snow as a function of temperature and wind speed," says the study's senior author, Jim Steenburgh, professor and chair of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah.
"This is about improving snowfall amount forecasts - how much snow is going to fall," says Steenburgh. "As a nice side benefit for the ski community, this will tell you whether you're going to get powder or concrete when it snows. We are working on incorporating this into the UtahSkiWeather.com website" run by the university.
The new method "is also helpful to avalanche forecasters," says the study's first author, Trevor Alcott, a doctoral student in atmospheric sciences. "We're forecasting snow density, which is related to the stability of freshly fallen snow."

A Better Handle on Snowfall, Skiing and Avalanche Conditions
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Salt Lake City has used the method since November, says Randy Graham, the science operations officer.
"Forecasters really like it because it gives us a more realistic depiction of how snow density will vary across the Wasatch Range and with elevation," he says. "Instead of anticipating a singular density of snow or fluffiness of the snow over the Wasatch, Trevor's and Jim's tool has allowed us to have different snowfall densities in our forecasts for different areas based on forecasts of [crest-level] temperature and wind."
"We've always had some insight into the difference between a real powder day versus a really wet snowfall event," Graham adds. "What this tool has enabled us to do is to better differentiate how dense the snow is going to be over an area with really complex terrain - the state in general, but in particular the Wasatch Range."
Bruce Tremper, director of the Utah Avalanche Center, isn't familiar with the new method, but says predicting "new snow density is a very important factor in avalanche forecasting. If low-density snow falls first - light powdery snow - then heavy, wetter snow falls on top, it instantly creates a slab of 'upside-down snow' as we sometimes call it. These slabs can easily be triggered by people."
Resorts "really care about the water equivalent of the snow," Graham says. "It's really important to them. Powder is better. And it's important for them to know what kind of avalanche [prevention] work they're going to have to do."
Alcott, an NWS intern, extended the technique so it can be used throughout Utah, and says the agency's Elko, Nev., office may use the method to improve forecasts. It could be extended to other regions by making local snow measurements in different locations and using them to devise predictive formulas for snow density.
Graham says the method "is a really good example of taking a complex problem, boiling it down to the most important variables to describe the problem, and then coming up with a technique that can be applied in operational forecasting."
The study was funded by the National Weather Service, its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Science Foundation.
Flakey Forecasting
Steenburgh says that to accurately predict snowfall amounts, "getting the snow density right is critical. To forecast snowfall amount, you need to know how much water is going to fall and how dense the snow is going to be."
Meteorologists predict how much water a storm will produce and translate that to snowfall based on predicted snowfall density, which is the snow-to-liquid ratio (SLR) - the ratio of the depth of new snowfall to the depth of water from melting that snow. SLR reflects how powdery or wet and heavy the snow will be.
"The best way to think of it is how much does an inch of water translate to in terms of inches of snowfall? So a snow-to-liquid ratio of 5-to-1 means 5 inches of snow for every inch of water, or a water content of 20 percent," says Steenburgh.
Higher SLRs mean the snow is more powdery. Typical Utah SLRs are:

Heavy, wet Utah snow has an SLR around 7 (an SLR such as 7-to-1 is commonly referred to only by the numerator), with a water content of 14 percent.

Average Utah snow has an SLR of 14, or 7 percent water content. Steenburgh says "that is still pretty dry, especially when you compare it with coastal ski areas" with SLRs around 9 or 10.

Very dry, light snow has an SLR of 25. That's the same as 4 percent water content. Anything above SLR 25 is extremely dry, fluffy snow known as "wild snow."

Steenburgh says the driest snows ever recorded had SLRs of 100 in Japan and Colorado. Alcott says the record high 24-hour SLR at Alta - known for its powder - is 50.

Learning to Predict Powder
To devise their method, Alcott and Steenburgh studied the relationship between measured snow density or SLR and various recorded atmospheric measurements at a single site at Alta, named the Collins Snow Study Plot.
Steenburgh says he and Alcott chose to study that site "because Alta gets a ton of snow [almost 43 feet annually]. You get as many samples in Alta in one year as you get in Salt Lake City in 10 years." In other words, Alta provided numerous snowstorms that could be analyzed and used to develop a formula for predicting snow density.
Alta snow safety crews measure snow depth at the Collins site twice daily. Precipitation measurements are made automatically each hour.
Alcott and Steenburgh analyzed temperatures, wind speeds and other factors such as relative humidity for 457 "snow events" or storms at Alta during November through April of 1999 through 2007.
The depth of new snow was divided by the depth of water measured by a rain gauge to determine actual snow density and see what variables best correlated with it.
The study showed that only two variables - crest-level wind speeds and temperatures - were most critical in predicting snow densities. In fact, for all the storms studied during 1999-2007, those two variables alone explained 57 percent of the variance in snow density. And for large, wet storms, crest-level wind speed and temperature explained 73 percent of the variance in the snow density or SLR.
That means that much of the storm-to-storm difference in whether new snow is powdery or wet can be predicted by the new technique.
"It's the KISS method - keep it simple, stupid," Steenburgh says. "How much can we strip down the number of variables analyzed and get a good result?"
He says the new technique "does a good job of predicting how the snow density changes from storm to storm, and it does especially well for the larger storms."
Alcott says the Weather Service's previous method was less accurate because it tried to predict snow density based on surface temperature at the forecast location - a method developed in the Great Plains - rather than what the study showed was more accurate: temperatures and wind speeds above mountaintops where snow is forming.

Secrets of the Snows
In analyzing Alta snow conditions as they developed their formula for predicting snow density, the researchers discovered some interesting aspects of Alta snow:

The fluffiest snow tends to occur when a storm contains less than 0.8 inches of water in 24 hours, when crest-level wind speeds are 18 to 26 mph and when temperatures are 0 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, with snow heavier at either colder or warmer temperatures due to the type of ice crystal formed at different temperatures.

Snowfall density can vary radically from day to day. For example, during Jan. 3-12, 2005, it ranged from heavy, wet snow with a snow-to-liquid ratio of 5.2, to "wild" powder with and SLR of 35.1.

Snow densities at Alta have the widest range in February, from a wet SLR of 3.6 to fluffy powder at 35.1.

The most extreme powder - "wild snow" with snow-to-liquid ratios of 25 or more - peaks in mid-winter. Of 26 wild snow events during the eight-season study period, 24 occurred in December, January and February, with none in April.

Extremely wet snow, with SLRs less than 7, occurred in 28 of the 457 storms during the 1999-2007 study period, or 6.1 percent of the storms.

Media Contacts
Jim Steenburgh professor and chair of atmospheric sciences	Office phone: 801-581-8727 Email address: jim.steenburgh@utah.edu
Trevor Alcott doctoral student in atmospheric sciences	Cell phone: (603) 986-2906 Email address: trevor.alcott@utah.edu
Randy Graham science operations officer, National Weather Service, Salt Lake City	Office phone: (801) 524-514 Email address: randall.graham@noaa.gov
Lee J. Siegel science news specialist, University of Utah Public Relations	Office phone: (801) 581-8993 Cell phone: (801) 244-5399 Email address: leesiegel@ucomm.utah.edu

Thats all folks

2010-04-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

And.... Thats a wrap for the 2009/2010 season

See ya in 7 months.

photo: Mike Brodie

Closing Dates for Utah Ski and Snowboard Resorts

2010-03-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

2009-2010 Utah Ski Resorts Closing Dates

Resort Closing Date
Alta April 18
Beaver Mountain March 28
Brian Head April 18
Brighton April 18 (weather permitting)
The Canyons April 11
Deer Valley April 11
Park City Mountain Resort April 11
Powder Mountain April 11
Snowbasin April 18
Snowbird Memorial Day Weekend (conditions permitting)
Solitude April 18
Sundance April 4

Utah Ski Season Coming to an End

2010-03-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

Utah ski season coming to an end
March 25th, 2010 @ 9:52pm
By Alex Cabrero

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON -- The ski season here in Utah is beginning to wind down, and it's no secret we haven't seen as much snow this year as we have in the past.

Brighton Ski Resort up Big Cottonwood Canyon is still open for skiers, but it and several other resorts have announced their closing dates. Most are looking at mid-April.

"Our resorts are closing pretty much where they usually do," says Jessica Kunzer, with Ski Utah.

Even though the resorts are doing their best to stay open for as long as they can, the snow hasn't really been falling as much as it has in years past.

"It hasn't been a banner snow year for us by any means. We're a little bit below average," Kunzer says.

Ever optimistic, though, the way Utah's ski resorts are looking at it, this year's below-average snowfall is still better than anywhere else. Solitude's Nick Como says we've been spoiled in years past.
2009-2010 Utah Ski Resorts Closing Dates
Resort Closing Date
Alta April 18
Beaver Mountain March 28
Brian Head April 18
Brighton April 18 (weather permitting)
The Canyons April 11
Deer Valley April 11
Park City Mountain Resort April 11
Powder Mountain April 11
Snowbasin April 18
Snowbird Memorial Day Weekend (conditions permitting)
Solitude April 18
Sundance April 4
Wolf Creek Utah Closed March 15

"When you get kind of used to counting in the 600 and 700 [inches], sure, 400 doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a lot of snow," Como says. "Our base is in the 70 and 80 inches, and that's phenomenal."

"Snowbird has got over 600 inches the last two years, and we average about 500 inches. This year, we're right around 375. We're certainly down compared to the last few years," says Snowbird spokesman Jared Ishkani.

Still, Snowbird is trying to stay open through Memorial Day, and one or two more snow storms could get them to their 500-inch average.

"Last year, the end of March, early-April, we had a tremendous storm that dropped about 130 inches in 10 days," Ishkani says.

But no matter how much snow falls, Utah's ski resorts still say it's the "Greatest Snow on Earth."

"A bad year in Utah is a great year anywhere else," Kunzer says.

"Skiing in Utah is unforgettable every year, no matter when you do it," Como adds.

E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com

I Ride 4 Kevin

2010-02-19T08:28:00.001-08:00

Torah Bright suffers a cuncusssion while training for the X Games

2010-01-30T03:42:00.001-08:00

Concussion puts a cloud over Torah Bright's sunny Vancouver forecast

By: Chris Mauro

Snowboarder Torah Bright, Australia's 23-year-old halfpipe rider known for her sweetheart personality and supermodel good looks, is poised to become an Olympic darling next month in Vancouver. Bright is widely considered the frontrunner in the superpipe, and undoubtedly the biggest threat to her powerful U.S. counterparts. She stands a good chance of stealing the gold medal – along with plenty of hearts – over the next few weeks, which means the Olympics will be her big breakout moment.

But Thursday morning, Bright became the latest halfpipe star sidelined by injury when she suffered a concussion while training for the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. It's the latest in a series of hard knocks she's taken in the last few weeks. She has withdrawn from X Games competition, and Bright's sunny Vancouver forecast is now threatened by clouds of doubt.

Bright is hardly alone. The tight-knit snowboard community has been rocked by injuries during the march to next month's Games. U.S. halfpipe stars Kevin Pearce and Danny Davis both had their Olympic dreams shattered in the past few weeks. Pearce remains hospitalized after suffering a traumatic brain injury on Dec. 31, while Davis is recovering from a fractured spine and broken pelvis after being involved in an ATV accident Jan. 19.

Up until Thursday morning's qualifying round in Aspen, Bright was the only woman practicing the famed "double cork." The new move, a dizzying blend of off-axis flips and spins, is the buzz of the snowboarding world leading into the Olympics. Several men heading to Vancouver haven't perfected it yet. It's high-flying, risky, and it happens to be the same move that took out Pearce.

While Bright's concussion Thursday was not the result of a failed double cork, she has taken a few licks trying them. And whether or not she'll have the nerve to keep it into her Olympic routine is, at least for now, in doubt. That said, I still wouldn't bet against her.

Oh, snow! Ski areas exaggerate weekend snowfalls?

2010-01-29T04:16:00.000-08:00

Oh, snow! Ski areas exaggerate weekend snowfalls?

By LISA RATHKE, Associated Press Writer Lisa Rathke, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 47 mins ago

WARREN, Vt. – Ever hit the slopes only to find 4 inches of fresh snow instead of the 8 inches you were promised? That may be because ski areas have exaggerated their snowfalls on weekends to entice skiers, according to a study by two Dartmouth College professors.
That depth deception may fall by the wayside, however, as skiers and snowboarders can now use an iPhone application to report real-time snow levels and keep resorts honest, the study said.
Economists Jonathan Zinman and Eric Zitzewitz, skiers who took offense to a fluffed-up claim, studied snow reports from 2004 to 2008 and compared them to area government weather stations. They found that ski resorts across the U.S. and Canada reported more fresh snow — 23 percent more, on average — on skier-coveted weekends than during the week. Resorts with more business to gain were the ones most likely to boast of deeper snowfalls, their study said.
It may not seem like much: a resort's bragging of an 8-inch snowfall when the slopes really got only 4 or 6 inches. But to a skier or snowboarder, those extra inches make slopes more desirable.
The so-called "weekend effects" in snow reporting were larger for resorts with more expert terrain and within closer driving distance to populated areas, Zinman and Zitzewitz said.
"This is consistent with expert skiers valuing fresh snow more highly and with resorts near cities having more potential to attract weekend skiers," the report said.
The resorts question the findings. For one thing, they say, the government's weather stations aren't necessarily in the same snowy spots as the slopes. And they say overreporting snow does them no good if disgruntled skiers and riders find less snow than expected.
"It doesn't serve you to overreport snow," said JJ Toland, spokesman for Sugarbush Resort. "If you do overreport and make a false promise, people show up and they just become angry that you lied to them and they won't come back."
And in the age of camera phones, Twitter, blogs and other social media, they couldn't lie if they wanted to, the resorts say.
"The resorts, now, frankly they can't get away with it," said Parker Riehle, of the Vermont Ski Areas Association. "They won't get away with it because the skiers and riders won't put up with it."
The iPhone and the application SkiReport.com are apparently helping keep resorts honest, allowing skiers to log reports in real time, from chairlifts or base lodges.
"Exaggerations fall sharply, especially at resorts where iPhones can get reception," the report said.
Anna Rosenthal, 57, of Portland, Conn., said she wasn't surprised to learn ski areas may have snowed their customers.
"I believe that they want to get people out there to ski," she said, before boarding a lift at Sugarbush resort in Vermont. "As long as the conditions are good when I get there, I'm fine."
And David Ilsley, 51, of Lexington, Mass., who has skied all over the U.S., said he expects some hype.
"I think you expect it, so you kind of plan for it," he said, standing outside a Sugarbush lodge. "So, if they're saying one thing, you know it's probably not quite that good."
He's found resorts in the East tend to exaggerate more than those in the West, which get more snow, but neither do so enough to harm the quality of the skiing, he said.
Some say it's all a bit of a gamble.
"We expect snow, and you don't always get what they tell you're going to get," said another Sugarbush skier, Lou Bizian, 45, of Rutherford, N.J. "But, fortunately, this week, we got what we thought we were going to get."
Other skiers and riders say the resorts' recent snow reports are right on.
"Usually they're pretty accurate," said snowboarder Isabel Beavers, 20, of Northboro, Mass., who reads snow reports daily. "I mean Sugarbush at least is honest because they've been saying they haven't had any snow for the past few days, and it's true."
The report's authors decided to investigate after hitting the slopes at an unnamed Vermont resort that had reported 6 inches of new snow.
"We got there, and there was like 2," Zitzewitz said.
He and Zinman compared new natural snowfall reported by more than 400 ski areas to snow amounts reported by area government weather stations. Their work, presented at a National Bureau of Economic Research conference in July, has not been published.
In calculating average daily snowfall, the researchers considered a wide range of snowfalls over time — as deep, for instance, as the 29 inches recorded on Feb. 14-15, 2007, in Waitsfield, about 5 miles from Warren, as well as mere dustings of snow. The report did not break out individual daily reports or name resorts.
Ski areas complain there can be big variations between the amount of snow at the mountain and the amount at a weather station in a different spot.
But that's not the point, Zitzewitz said. The average match weather station was 26 miles away and 160 feet below the summit in the East; in the West it was 52 miles away and 280 feet below, he said.
"In general, if all we were finding was the resorts were reporting more snow than the weather stations, we'd probably say, well, that's because they put ski resorts in good places for snowfall. But that's not what we're finding," he said. "What we're finding is that the difference changes with the day of the week, and so that's got to be due to something man-made."
____
On the Net:
Snowed: Deceptive Advertising by Ski Resorts: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ericz/snowed.pdf

Cottonwood Heights man swept away, killed in avalanche

2010-01-28T04:09:00.000-08:00

Cottonwood Heights man swept away, killed in avalanche

January 27th, 2010 @ 9:19pm

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON -- Avalanche forecasters say the slide danger is unusually high right now, and Wednesday marked the second deadly avalanche in less than a week. Rescuers had to cut down some trees to retrieve the body of the backcountry skier, who was swept more than 800 feet down a slope.

"I don't know if any area is really safe at this time. Obviously, when you hit the right slope in these conditions, any area where an avalanche could occur, it may occur," said Unified police Lt. Don Hutson.
It started as a day enjoying the fresh powder in the backcountry area called The Meadows, which is just outside of Solitude Resort. Three friends, including 51-year-old Ricardo Presnell, were heading down the slope when police say they triggered a large avalanche, 800 feet long and 400 feet across.
‘They felt, essentially, the entire slope slough off; and then it was just a powder storm, and they ended up near the bottom of the slide," Hutson said.
When the snow settled, Presnell was completely buried. His two friends called emergency crews for help, pulled out a beacon and started searching. They found Presnell buried beneath 4 feet of snow, in a wooded area, not breathing and with no pulse.
"Not only is it just being buried in the snow, but this particular slide went through a grove of trees, and so there's significant injury as well as being trapped by snow," Hutson said.
Presnell was pronounced dead at the scene. He was buried for more than 15 minutes , but probably died of blunt-force trauma, Hutson said.
Presnell's death was the second in an avalanche in less than a week in Utah canyons. Over the weekend, a 42-year-old skier was killed when he got caught in an avalanche in the backcountry near Snowbasin Resort, known as Hell's Canyon.
Avalanche forecasters warn the conditions are particularly dangerous right now.
"In the past week we've had a lot of close calls. There have been dozens of unintentionally-triggered avalanches, and now two fatalities," Gordon says. "So, people who even have a lot of backcountry experience -- years of experience in the mountains -- are getting tricked by these conditions."
It is extremely high danger, and when that is the circumstance, regardless of your preparation and classes that you may have taken or equipment you may have with you, sometimes there's just nothing you can do when you're caught in an avalanche," Hutson said.
Presnell was a geologist for Kennecott for more than 20 years; he most recently worked as a consultant. Kennecott sends their condolences to his family.
Police say Presnell was married and lived in Cottonwood Heights.
------
Story compiled with contributions from Jennifer Stagg, Marc Giauque and AP writer Paul Foy.

View Larger Map

snowboarder Kevin Pearce to be moved from critical care

2010-01-26T04:45:00.001-08:00

Injured snowboarder to be moved from critical care

January 25th, 2010 @ 8:17pm

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Injured snowboarder Kevin Pearce was set to be transferred out of critical care at University of Utah hospital, a positive sign in his recovery from a severe head injury.

An update provided by his family Monday said Pearce, injured when he hit his head on the halfpipe during practice on Dec. 31 in Park City, would move from critical care to the Neuro Acute Care unit.
The update said Pearce is making steady progress and that, quote, "his sense of humor and optimism are apparent as he begins his rehabilitation."
Considered a top contender for the Olympics, Pearce was practicing a double-cork move -- one of the toughest tricks in the halfpipe -- when he hurt himself.

Utah roads reopen after avalanches

2010-01-25T05:38:00.000-08:00

Utah Avalanche Center

Avalanche kills 1 near Snowbasin

2010-01-25T05:34:00.001-08:00

Avalanche kills 1 near Snowbasin

January 24th, 2010 @ 7:59pm

WEBER COUNTY -- An avalanche killed one person near Snowbasin ski resort Sunday. The Weber County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as 42-year-old Todd Bell of South Weber.

Capt. Clint Anderson with the sheriff's office said Bell had been skiing with a friend around 1 p.m. The friend decided to go down a run in No Name Canyon and thought Bell would follow. Instead, Bell went down Hell's Canyon.
Several snowboarders were behind Bell and saw the avalanche happen. When they got to the bottom of the avalanche run, they noticed a hand and a coat sleeve sticking out of the snow. They pulled Bell out, began CPR and called 911 around 1:20. Bell was unconscious and not breathing.
When rescue crews arrived, they took over resuscitation efforts. They worked on Bell for more than an hour, but were unsuccessful.
Deputies said Bell was found close to the surface of the snow, so an autopsy will be performed to see if he died from trauma caused by debris.
At the same time, five snowboarders were going down nearby Cold Water Canyon and triggered several small avalanches. When they realized they wouldn't be able to get out of the canyon, they called for help.
None of the snowboarders suffered any injuries.
The Utah Avalanche Center on Sunday said that heavy snowfall and high winds are making for dangerous avalanche conditions in mountain backcountry areas throughout the state. The center urged people to stay out of those areas.
"It's never been more dangerous in the area," Anderson said.

THE DRIFTER CONTINUES TO CONQUER AT FILM FESTIVALS WORLDWIDE WITH

2010-01-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

THE DRIFTER CONTINUES TO CONQUER AT FILM FESTIVALS WORLDWIDE WITH | 1.21.2010
After being chosen as "Best Film" at the Ombak Bali International Surf Film Festival last August, The Drifter has now captured the "Best Film" title at the California Surf Film Festival, which took place in Oceanside, CA, in November. The Drifter, which was directed by Taylor Steele and inspired by Rob Machado's wanderings in Indonesia, faced stiff competition from a host of other amazing features.

"Having The Drifter being chosen as "Best Film" at the Ombak Film Festival was huge for us," Rob says. "Our goal with the film was to make Indonesia one of the characters, rather than just a place we went to film, so to receive that honor from the people of Indonesia was very validating. Winning in California was very special as well because it is where I am from and where I live, so to get that kind of recognition from the people I'm surrounded by feels really good."

The Drifter, which has screened at film festivals in New York, Hawaii, Canada, Brazil, Spain, South Africa, and Chile - has been accepted as an official entry into the X-Dance Actor Sports Film Festival, which is now celebrating 10 years of spotlighting the greatest action sports films from around the world. This year's festival will be held January 21st through the 26th in Salt Lake City, UT. In February, Rob will head to Panama and Brazil to kick off the South American release of The Drifter.

The Drifter continues to be a top-seller at surf retail and is being readied for a wide U.S. release in Spring 2010. Thanks to all of you who have supported the film!

2010 Winter Games U.S. Halfpipe Team Announced at Park City Mountain Resort

2010-01-24T04:54:00.000-08:00

2010 Winter Games U.S. Halfpipe Team Announced at Park City Mountain Resort

Park City, Utah (January 23, 2010) – Park City Mountain Resort’s Eagle Superpipe, where history was made during the 2002 Winter Games, served as the perfect backdrop to name the 2010 U.S. Halfpipe team on Saturday, January 23, 2010, following the final stop of the Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix. Park City All-Star and 2006 Olympic Gold medalist Shaun White and 2002 Olympic Gold medalist Kelly Clark will headline the team. Louie Vito and Scotty Lago will make their first Winter Games debut in Vancouver. The 2006 gold and silver medalists, Hannah Teter and Gretchen Bleiler, round out the six members named tonight. The United States Ski and Snowboarding Association will name the final two team members on Monday, January 25, 2010.

“I've always loved competing in Park City,” said Kelly Clark, who won Olympic gold in the same pipe in 2002, “They build amazing halfpipes, and it's always fun for me to come back to get to compete and do well.”

After a nearly perfect score of 49 on Friday night, White received the highest score ever given in a Grand Prix competition, with a score of 49.5.

“There is always room for improvement,” said White. “The judges haven’t given a perfect score yet, but I’m going to get it.”

The free event, held in the midst of the Sundance Film Festival, as well as a major storm that brought close to four feet of snow to the Resort, went off without a hitch. Thousands of spectators lined the pipe to get a glimpse of the best snowboarders in the United States. The athletes did not disappoint in preparation for Olympic glory. A free concert by multi-platinum rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars ended the historic night.

The Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix will air on NBC at 1 p.m. MST on Sunday, January 24, 2010. For photos of tonight's competition visit http://bit.ly/5vc5CF.

About Park City Mountain Resort

Park City Mountain Resort, named the most accessible mountain resort in North America by the readers of SKI magazine, is located in the heart of Park City, Utah and is only a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. With 3,300 acres of unspoiled terrain, the Resort offers groomed Signature Runs™, bumps, powder, trees, eight peaks, nine bowls, four terrain parks, and the Eagle Superpipe. Park City Mountain Resort was once again ranked a Top-five resort by the readers of SKI and Transworld Snowboarding magazines. For more information about Park City Mountain Resort, please visit www.parkcitymountain.com or call (800) 222-PARK.

###

Utah avalanche danger 'high,' caution urged for skiers, snowboarders

2010-01-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14254186?source=rss

Utah avalanche danger 'high,' caution urged for skiers, snowboarders

By Bob Mims
The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 01/23/2010 08:42:38 AM MST

If you plan on hitting the ski slopes today, be aware that the Utah Avalanche Center is warning that the potential for deadly snow slides is rated "high" --an elevated, dangerous level.
Recent snowfall, and the expectation of even more of the white stuff through this weekend, is further burdening an already weak snowpack. Friday alone had some half-dozen avalanche reports in Utah, though, fortunately, no fatalities.
The risk Saturday is just as bad if not worse. Forecasters urge skiers to avoid steep slopes in the backcountry for the next several days -- and to stay within approved ski resort boundaries if you do venture out on skis or snowboards.
Also, stay informed on changing road conditions. For example, Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed for avalanche control work Saturday morning from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
For up-to-date information on other such closures, you can call the Utah Department of Transportation at (801) 975-4838.
The National Weather Service predicts snowfall of 5 to 10 inches in the state's mountains by Saturday night. More snowfall is expected overnight, into Sunday morning.
By Saturday morning, another foot of new snow had come down at the higher elevations of several key northern Utah mountain regions, among them Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, the Park City Ridgeline and the Provo areas. The Ogden mountains received 6 to 10 inches.

X-Dance celebrates both sides of action sports filmmaking

2010-01-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705360139/X-Dance-celebrates-both-sides-of-action-sports-filmmaking.html?linkTrack=rss-30

X-Dance celebrates both sides of action sports filmmaking

By Pat Reavy

Deseret News

Published: Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 8:15 p.m. MST

SALT LAKE CITY — Climbing and skiing Alaska's Mount St. Elias. Surfing an Indian Ocean reef. Traveling through the outback of New Zealand.
For some of the world's top extreme sports athletes, it's all in a day's work and play. But without filmmakers following them, their stories would never be seen or told to a wide audience.
Thursday in Salt Lake City, the annual X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival kicked off its annual six-day run, celebrating the achievements of both the athletes and action sports filmmakers.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of X-Dance, one of several "dances" held at the same time as the Sundance Film Festival.
"We never thought we would have gotten to this point. It was a unique idea for the industry, but it was so accepted and everyone was so excited about it, it just exploded," said festival director Brian Wimmer.
The festival has grown by 25 percent each year. This year, 40 films were chosen from a list of 130 entries. This year's highlights include "an incredibly soulful" film featuring surfing legend Rob Machado in "The Drifter," Wimmer said. Also a film called "Mount St. Elias," which he called "one of the most beautiful cinematic movies we've ever had."The action sports festival is not about showing movies with the craziest tricks or worst wipeouts, he said, but rather to show something that even nonsports fans will be interested in seeing.
"It's about telling stories. That's something we've pushed forever because we want to get away from what we call the 'action porn.' We want to get into the heart and soul of the athlete," Wimmer said. "We want to keep our core values but be able to deliver it to the mass market. We're not in the business of making snuff films. We're into the art and athleticism behind it."
Extreme sports, whether it be skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, mountain climbing, sky diving or kayaking, has always been about freedom of expression, he said. Although it's fun to watch, it's not just about competitions like the X Games and the Dew Tour.
"The whole competition thing is a way for the rest of the world to put butts in seats and qualify and quantify its existence. 'Well if you have butts in seats, it's happening.' No. It's been happening for 100 years in the back mountains of Utah. Now we have a stadium and suddenly we exist because you're watching us? That really kind of goes against the grain of what action sports is about," he said.
Wimmer noted it had been a "brutal year" for action sports injuries, especially in snowboarding. Olympic snowboard hopeful Danny Davis and Kevin Pearce each suffered serious injuries in recent weeks. Davis' injury was unrelated to snowboarding.
But Wimmer said there is obviously the potential for danger in any extreme sport, which is why his company is working with the Athlete Recovery Fund, providing support to athletes and their families when an athlete suffers a severe injury.
Also during X-Dance, the "godfather of all action film sports making," Warren Miller, will be given a lifetime achievement award in addition to being one of the judges for this year's movies.
"He was really good at capturing the soul and spirit of the sport," Wimmer said. "He's really the guy who started the whole process."
In addition, the annual lifetime achievement award will be renamed after Miller. Miller, 85, made more than 750 action sport films during his 60 years of filmmaking.
Also scheduled to appear during the festival's run are top name athletes such as Machado and Olympic snowboard hero Shaun White.

e-mail: preavy@desnews.com

Skier rescues friend following avalanche near Brighton

2010-01-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

Skier rescues friend following avalanche near Brighton

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9431118

Skier rescues friend following avalanche near Brighton

January 22nd, 2010 @ 9:38pm

SALT LAKE COUNTY -- An avalanche broke free in the backcountry near Brighton Ski Resort Friday afternoon. Two men were caught in the snow; one of them was completely buried.

The slide broke loose just after 2 p.m. Rescue crews are calling this a miraculous ending to a story that could have had a very bad one.
John Sullivan, 22, was skiing with his friend, 24-year-old Ray Peacock when it happened. Sullivan said he didn't hear anything but saw a blast of white powder.

John Sullivan says his avalanche training really kicked into high gear when he saw his friend get swept away

"I saw the snow come down and he was gone," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said his avalanche training really kicked into high gear, and he pulled out his beacon immediately to start looking for his friend.
"I went down from where he was at. I went straight down and turned on my beacon," Sullivan said.
After several minutes passed with no sign of Peacock, Sullivan called 911 for help.
"I'm just outside of Brighton," Sullivan told the dispatcher. "My friend is buried in an avalanche and I can't find him."
But soon after he made that call, he found Peacock.
"Based on where he was at, I didn't think he was alive," Sullivan said.
But after digging through about 2 feet of snow, Sullivan said he found Peacock lying face down.

"His lips were blue," Sullivan said. "And as soon as I got his face uncovered, he was breathing and he made a sound, which was good."

While he worked on getting Peacock out, he was still on the phone with 911 dispatchers.
"You guys have him out of the snow?" the dispatcher asked.
"Yeah. He's alert and talking to me, and he's moving around," Sullivan replied.
Sullivan's quick thinking and preparedness saved his friend's life.
"He said he thought he was dying. He said he thought he was dead," Sullivan recalled. "He couldn't believe he was looking at me."
Sullivan and Peacock made their way to the road where Peacock was checked out by paramedics and transported to a local hospital.
Unified police Lt. Don Hutson said of Sullivan, "He had the proper equipment: a full backpack that had shovels, probes; he had beacons, and so he was able to go immediately to the area where his friend was."
The men said the area where the avalanche occurred was one they thought was safe.
"I just had a weird feeling about going out today with all the warnings," Sullivan said. "Although it seemed mellow and safe, it was the wrong choice, definitely a mistake."
The Unified Police Department say this incident provides a very good lesson for all of us: If you're going to head into the backcountry, make sure that you're prepared, you have the proper equipment and that you know how to use that equipment.
This was a big slide -- about 1,000 feet long and 300 feet wide. Officers said there's no way Peacock would have made it out alive if his friend wasn't prepared and knew how to pull him out.
Peacock was taken to a local hospital to be checked out. He was released with only some minor bumps and bruises.
------
Story compiled with contributions from Jennifer Stagg and Marc Giauque.

Injured snowboarder has successful surgery on back

2010-01-20T03:36:00.001-08:00

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—Snowboarder Danny Davis is recovering after successful back surgery he needed due to a season-ending accident on a four-wheeler in the Utah mountains.
An update posted on his Facebook site Tuesday said doctors are, quote, “very pleased” with the outcome of Davis’ surgery on a vertebrae in his lower back. The update said an official statement from the doctors would be coming in the next 24 hours.
Davis was a strong favorite to make the U.S. Olympic halfpipe team, but his season ended after an accident early Sunday morning in which he crashed an all-terrain vehicle into a closed gate.
Davis is good friends with Kevin Pearce, another top snowboarder and one-time Olympic hopeful who is in a Utah hospital recovering from a head injury he suffered during training last month.

X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival in Salt Lake

2010-01-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival in Salt Lake

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

By Jared Hargrave Track back at:

http://www.utahoutside.com/?p=682

X-Dance

X-Dance 2010

Forget about the Sundance Film Festival. Ditch the latte, grab an energy drink, and check out the X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival instead. For one week, there will be screenings of ski movies, surf movies, skateboard movies, mountain bike movies, snowboard movies, climbing movies, an avalanche education movie, and even a film about a tattoo master. In essence, X-Dance is a celebration of what we all love to do; have fun outdoors.
Movies screened will be of the typical variety from well known filmmakers like Matchstick Productions, Teton Gravity Research, and Transworld. But the festival is also an opportunity to experience smaller, unknown films that don’t tour the country during the annual pre-ski season frenzy. Often times, discovering films from new talent is the number-one reason to attend a film fest, and X-Dance is no exeption.
This year is the 10th anniversary of X-Dance, and to mark the occasion, ski movie legend Warren Miller will make a special appearance to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award.
For 2010, X-Dance will take place on January 21-26 in the Off Broadway Theater, located at 272 South Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City. Tickets cost $8 per film, $5 for students. Special X-Dance Institute screenings are $12. A five-day pass can be purchased for $40.
To see the full X-Dance film schedule, check it out on thier website www.x-dance.com

Share on Facebook

Tags: events, Films, news, ski movies, X-Dance

Satch Jib Pipe Event Wrap Up 1/0/10

2010-01-11T13:16:00.001-08:00

01/11/10 7:27 AM

Satch Jib Pipe Event Wrap Up

By Captain Winky

Dear friends,
First off, I wanted to thank everyone who came out and participated. We had so much fun hanging out and shredding. We had a great turn out this year. Everyone was solid right from the beginning. Some of the highlights were, Skier C.J. Bodey, killing it with a 630 off the pole jam. The Defending Champion Everest Arnold was throwing down all sorts of technical spins onto the features, and stomping hand plants on the dog house box. It was a close call between all finalists. The first place overall Skier, Walter Shearon won by throwing down tricks like K-FED’s on the fire cracker rail and 360 nose drag on the sphere. The first place overall boarder was Brandon Hoebush. He destroyed the course by doing 50-50 backflip off the pole jam, hand plants in the pipe, and even M.J.’s on the boxes. The overall girl category winner, Victoria Ashley demonstrated her skills by boosting big air back 180’s off the pole jam, and back lips on the hitching post. I would like to thank all of the sponsors who helped out with this event. Slug Mag, Savai Snowboards, Skull Candy, Fuel TV, Surface for hooking up awesome prizes, KAB Rails, Red Bull for keeping us amped, Thirty Two, Pow, Neff, Etnies, Smith, and Brighton Resort. Also, a special thanks to Jared Winkler and The Truth Terrain Park Crew for all their hard work to make this event happen. If it wasn’t for you guys (the participants) and the sponsors this event wouldn’t be such a huge success. I enjoyed watching and cheering along with everyone who kill it through out the day. Satch is real excited to be able to put this on. We do it for the sport and we hope everyone had as much fun as we did.

Sincerely,

Erin Young
Owner
Satch LLC

More Photos and Video to come.. Check Back Soon.

THE DRIFTER movie info

2010-01-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

THE DRIFTER PREMIERE TOUR

OMBAK BALI FILM FESTIVAL

In August 2009, The Drifter had its World Premiere in Bali, Indonesia, at the Ombak Bali International Surf Film Festival, where it was chosen Best Film. The festival's program director Jolinde den Hass had this to say: "There has never been a more beautiful portrait of the diversity of the people, the surf and the islands of Indonesia. It's a very genuine road movie that shows a personal side of Rob Machado and the warmth and sincerity of the Indonesian people." The Jakarta Post remarked: "Capturing the journey of the surfer through a different land, culture and waves, The Drifter is a visual metaphor for a free spirit's conscious abandonment of the worldly traps of modern life as he searches for the inner freedom and spiritual joy offered by a life of renunciation."

THE DRIFTER ON FACEBOOK

Visit The Drifter page on Facebook

MUSIC FROM THE DRIFTER

Check out the free Lala.com music player featuring songs from The Drifter. Jon Swift, Stardeath & White Dwarfs, The Black Keys, The Raconteurs, Midlake, Iron & Wine, Tegan & Sara, Jon and Roy, Bon Iver, Brett Dennen, Jose Gonzalez, MGMT, Yeasayer, The Shins, Jets Overhead, The Morning Benders, and Matt Costa.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE DRIFTER TOUR

Rob & Taylor Steele shot behind the scenes during the Drifter premiere tour.

Check out Part 1 captured during stops on the West Coast...

Here is a behind the scenes piece from the Cocoa Beach, Florida tour stop...

EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN INTERVIEW

Watch an exclusive interview with Rob for VAS Australia filmed during the Drifter's Australian premiere.

Q&A FROM HAWAII FILM FESTIVAL

Check out video from Rob's Q&A session at the Hawaii International Film Festival

ESPN "FACE TIME" WITH ROB MACHADO

Rob Machado at the NYC premiere of his film, "The Drifter," on ESPN

Utah Snow Reports

K2 Skis Unveils Grom Inspired Website For Young Ski Addicts

K2 Skis Unveils Grom Inspired Website For Young Ski Addicts

Utah long range weather forecast

Southwest U.S. Long Range Weather Forecast for October 1st - November 30th

Includes California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona

Utah Snow Reports end of the 2009 / 2010 season

Winter snow prediction 2010 2011

Winter Forecast 2010-2011: Heavier Snow for Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit, Normal Snowfall for NYC, Philly and D.C.

forecasters say Winter could be a whopper,

Winter could be a whopper, forecasters say

Better Snowfall Forecasting

Thats all folks

Closing Dates for Utah Ski and Snowboard Resorts

Utah Ski Season Coming to an End

I Ride 4 Kevin

Torah Bright suffers a cuncusssion while training for the X Games

Concussion puts a cloud over Torah Bright's sunny Vancouver forecast

By: Chris Mauro

Oh, snow! Ski areas exaggerate weekend snowfalls?

Oh, snow! Ski areas exaggerate weekend snowfalls?

Cottonwood Heights man swept away, killed in avalanche

snowboarder Kevin Pearce to be moved from critical care

Utah roads reopen after avalanches

Utah Avalanche Center

Avalanche danger high for the weekend

Skier rescues friend following avalanche near Brighton

Avalanche kills 1 near Snowbasin

THE DRIFTER CONTINUES TO CONQUER AT FILM FESTIVALS WORLDWIDE WITH

2010 Winter Games U.S. Halfpipe Team Announced at Park City Mountain Resort

Utah avalanche danger 'high,' caution urged for skiers, snowboarders

Utah avalanche danger 'high,' caution urged for skiers, snowboarders

X-Dance celebrates both sides of action sports filmmaking

X-Dance celebrates both sides of action sports filmmaking

Skier rescues friend following avalanche near Brighton

Injured snowboarder has successful surgery on back

X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival in Salt Lake

X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival in Salt Lake

Satch Jib Pipe Event Wrap Up 1/0/10

Satch Jib Pipe Event Wrap Up

THE DRIFTER movie info

THE DRIFTER PREMIERE TOUR

OMBAK BALI FILM FESTIVAL

THE DRIFTER ON FACEBOOK

MUSIC FROM THE DRIFTER

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE DRIFTER TOUR

EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN INTERVIEW

Q&A FROM HAWAII FILM FESTIVAL

ESPN "FACE TIME" WITH ROB MACHADO

ROB MACHADO ON CNN.COM

Southwest U.S.
Long Range Weather Forecast for October 1st - November 30th