What we found was spectacular. Vail had reported 6″ overnight, which was a lie. Consistently upwards of 12″ and in plenty of windswept areas we were riding knee- to thigh-deep fresh. It was a very close call, but March 1, 2013 at Vail, CO narrowly beats out April 3, 2011 at Brighton, UT (15″) for the best pow I’ve had a chance to ride.

On a related note, someone needs to design a superior chesty mount for GoPro. Because there is no lateral freedom on their mounts — no matter how many you Lincoln-log together and no matter how you angle the camera — the video is going to come out tilted. This is the best I could do with such an inferior product.

Featuring Flanel’s team riders: Jack Harris, Tyler May, Paul Dobry, Jasper Alford, Justine Pinkerton, Brent Behm, Andrew Carroll, Adam Roberts, Charlie Hoffman and Alek Binder.

Peep their catalog at Issu or check out their other videos on Vimeo.

They need a refresher course on how to properly play the “Slap the Bag” wine drinking game, though.

Dave on the A-Frame rail at Hawk Island Snow Park, April 21, 2013

The end of the season is always a bit of a bummer, but the end of the season normally happens a month ago, so for that I really can’t complain at all. Late snow in March and cold temps persisting extended the season by a few weeks, got some bonus days, and despite all odds I hit my season goal of 40 days on snow, which about a month ago seemed completely out of reach.

Although I hate the idea of not being able to ride for the next 7 months or so, this was a hell of a season. I’m not glad it’s over, by any stretch, but I can definitely accept it.  Also, I’d be lying if I said that my body doesn’t need a bit of a break especially after yesterday when I took a nice head-to-rail impact, messed up my shoulder, got a charlie horse in my hammy — all on one bail.

So for now I’m content hanging up the board, that is, until Jon calls me up to ride some mSnow in his backyard.

For the rest of you degenerates, there’s still snow in the midwest if you’re willing to drive for it. By my count what’s left is Brule, Bohemia (who may get another foot of snow this week), and possibly Boyne and Trollhaugen.

At 10:30, the Bid Team will premiere the full-length X Games Detroit video that was created to help bring the X Games to Detroit.

The party will include a DJ, and Electronic, and Hip-Hop performances by DIAL.81 and guests, as well as punk rock performances by Louder than Bombs and legendary Detroit hardcore band Negative Approach.  Skating elements will be set up inside the shed as well.  Free beverages will be provided by Motor City Brewing Works. They will raffle off merchandise, and all proceeds raised will go towards the Roosevelt Park Redevelopment Project on Michigan Avenue in Corktown in front of the Michigan Central Station. The park may be transformed into a skate park.

Need a ride? Uber is providing half-priced taxi rides to and from the party using the promo code XG2D. Arrange those easily here: www.uber.com/go/XG2D 

Get a sneak peek at the trailer for the video here:

The Facebook event page can be found here:

Follow the X Games Bid news on Facebook for updates: www.facebook.com/xgamesdetroit

Thanks to another big snowstorm (5-12″ across much of the upper Midwest/Great Lakes) last week, the weekend of April 13-14 was all about the Midwest. Resorts like Trollhaugen, and Boyne re-opened, Mt. Bohemia extended their closing date, while long season mainstays Ski Brule and Lutsen Mountain were still going strong. Boyne intends to re-open again 4/19-4/21 and Trollhaugen is also making a push to do the same.

And despite receiving nearly 4″ of rain over 5 days last week, Hawk Island Snow Park in Lansing MI is making its push to be the last man standing.  Joe & I ran up there for a few hours on Saturday. The crew was out pushing all the snow from the tubing hill (closed for the season) so that they could harvest that snow — and there was a lot of it — for the snow park.

Harvesting snow during an April blizzard at Hawk Island Snow Park

Conditions were ripe spring corn, a little slushy but still plenty ride-able.

Harsh zeach to WTF

The park set up was awesome late-season park: an up log over a hitching post, a gap to down rail, a down-flat, flat-down-donkeydick, flat box, flat-down skinny, two butter boxes, and a small step-up jump.

Joe Waun, boardslide the down-flat at Hawk Island

Although there’s more rain in the forecast this week, I’m expecting at least another weekend out of them.

Will the Midwest be skiing and riding in to May this year? Probably not, but there’s a chance!

I went out riding with Joe and Mike and some people on 3/29 to get our last laps there, here’s a quick no hammers edit.

Rocket air off the tombstone at Hawk Island

As long as the rain stays mostly at bay, expect at least another weekend or two out of them. Once they shut down the tubing hill, they can push all that snow over to the terrain park, and given Hawk’s relatively small size, they can get by on a lot less snow and a lot less resources than a full service ski resort. They are determined to be the last ski area operating in lower Michigan.

Down rail at Hawk Island

The crew is out constantly maintaining the features and terrain, making sure that it’s in good shape to ride.

As of April 4, Hawk was hosting the following features: large diameter down rail, flat-up bar, large diameter donkey-dick rail, skinny down rail (actually 2 sections butted together, maybe 24′ long), a large diamter rail maybe 8ft long laid flat up top, another 8 footer down with two gap-to options to hit it, a few small jumps, a hip with two options to hit it either from a pole jam or a tombstone hip to boost high, a wallride with a pipe up top to slide, and a beginner butter box. They may also be installing the beginner rainbow box for the weekend.  Park features always subject to change and changing conditions, but for now it’s a pretty legit setup.

Watch out for the donkey dick or you'll get bucked... (via Insta)

Crystal Mountain reported over a foot of snow on March 19, 2013

Today, Boyne Mountain is reporting an additional 8″:

Boyne Mountain reports an additional 8" of fresh snow, March 20, 2013

The Upper Peninsula is also getting hammered with fresh snow…

How long can winter last? It’s anybody’s guess at this point but lots of snow this late in the season will certainly extend some resorts in to April. Rumors are that Crystal Mountain will remain open “as late as possible, well in to April”, and since Boyne already has some “post-season” events scheduled the weekend of April 6-7, I’d be surprised if they don’t remain open into April, too.

In any case it sure looks like the getting is good right now, so make up whatever excuses you can and head north for a last hurrah.

If you can’t, then although conditions won’t be as good, Cannonsburg Ski Area will be fully open this weekend and is hosting their Neff Beach Bash; and Mt. Holly is also open evenings this week and day sessions this weekend to close out the season.

Mt. Brighton Epic Local Pass on Sale Now!

Well now the Vail Epic passes are on sale and we can see what the passholder perks are going to be.

Here’s the details of the Mt. Brighton Epic Local Pass, based on early-bird pricing before April 14, 2013.

• Unlimited skiing and riding at Breckenridge, Keystone, Afton Alps, Mt. Brighton, and Arapahoe Basin.
• Semi-restricted access to Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood subject to blackout dates, below.
• Ten days at Vail and Beaver Creek subject to blackout dates, below.
• Early-bird also purchase includes 6 Buddy Tickets which entitle a friend to discounted lift tickets ($84 at CO resorts, $74 at Tahoe resorts and $59 at Kirkwood)
• The Epic Local pass also includes unlimited Vail & Beaver Creek access in April 2014 and summer 2013 hiking lift access at CO and Tahoe-area resorts.

Blackout Dates: Vail, Beaver Creek, Heavenly, Northstart & Kirkwood are restricted 11-29 thru 11-30-2013, 12-26 thru 12-31-2013, 1-18-2014 and 2-15 thru 2-16-2014.

Adult pricing is $529 for the Epic Local pass, or $689 for the full, unrestricted Epic Pass which has no blackout dates and also includes 5 days at Verbier, Switzerland, and unlimited access to Eldora Mountain, CO.

With these prices, even if Mt. Brighton is not your usual “resort”, if you had any plans to go to any of the Vail Resorts next winter, it almost seems foolish not to buy the Epic Local Pass.

As a business move, it’s not hard to see how subsidizing Mt. Brighton with this pass is likely to encourage tourists from Detroit and Minneapolis to visit Vail properties for a week or two, dropping thousands on lodging, dining and amenities.  Well-played, Vail. Well-played.