Porters Sports

Toast to Tahoe Skiing

2009-11-11T11:29:00.001-08:00

: Timy Dutton does a little turn on the catwalk at the 2nd Annual A Toast to Tahoe Skiiing event held at the Resort at Squaw Creek (credit: Sierra Sun)

Check out this Sierra Sun official photo of Unofficial's own Tim Dutton as he "wows the crowd" at the second annual A Toast to Tahoe Skiiing, a benefit dinner for The Squaw Valley Institute held to kick off this years winter season. More than 300 people attended the event Saturday night.

Held at The Resort at Squaw Creek, the event brought together entertainment and great speakers, gourmet food, some Tahoe history, an auction, and a showing of some Lake Tahoe segments from Warren Miller's new film, “Dynasty.”

Blasters, Ingrid Backstrom & Timy Dutton where amongst the elite group of athletes including Mike Wilson, Tamara McKinney, Cory Carlson, Kent Krietler, and Errol Kerr. To top off the show, locals Debie Dutton, Hansi Standteinr, Nancy Cushing, Savanna Cowley, Dax Willard, and many others strutted their stuff down the runway showing off this years gear from local shops. It was an awesome night full of love for the sport of skiing.

More details about the night can be found at the Sierra Sun.

Bella the Bitch......RIP

2009-11-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

It's been a sad last 24 hours here at Porters. We're a family in sooooo many ways – figuratively, literally, passionately, emotionally, etc – and we just lost one of our dear members.

You might raise an eyebrow and chuckle when I say it was a 15 pound, runt-of-the-litter pug named Bella, but I tell you that little dog meant a lot to a lot of people around here...including yours truly.

Bella the Bitch's First Steps with Booties On from Chappy on Vimeo.

Bella Gets that Back Bootie Off from Chappy on Vimeo.

I got so attached to that little thing I have to admit that that I've used this cutest and most hilarious photo of Bella as my online avatar / persona for several years now. Ultimately, though, Bella belonged to my mom...and my mom is even more devastated than I am.

But the story of Bella goes back even before my mom.

Rewind to Curt Fry – aka Big C – who is an icon in our surf / snow / skate industry and the current sales manager for Von Zipper. Here's an awesome photo for those in the know of (from left to right) the Heckler, Johan Malkowski, and Big C at Johan's now infamous 40th Birthday Bash at Java Sushi in Truckee.

Well Big C was a longtime Northern California sales rep in the 90's and the first part of this decade. Big C had had a pug prior to Bella so he knew what he was getting into, but from the start there were issues with Bella. Besides being the runt, she also had hip and respiratory issues. A few years into Bella’s life with the Fry household, Big C went through a divorce. The ex couldn’t take her into her new living arrangements, so Big C had to leave her for stretches at his house and have people check on her or just take her on the sales rep road. Here's a pic of Bella in her younger years.

Well in January of 2004 Big C came up to Tahoe to do a quick loop before heading down to the Action Sports Retailer (ASR) convention in San Diego and then straight into the SnowSports Industries America’s (SIA) trade show in then Las Vegas. He was staying at my house as usual back then when he still made loops through the area, and we also were going to hit up our local Java Sushi for some fish and sakebombs. At first we thought we'd just leave Bella inside my house while my two big malamutes kicked it out on the deck, but then Big C said that from time to time when he left her alone that she'd get "mad" with him and pee on the rug and take a dump on his pillow.

So we called up my mom and asked if she'd watch Bella for the evening while two bachelors went and had fun. The fun carried on well into the night so we called and asked if she could keep her all night. The following morning Big C was a real trooper getting up hung-over to go see some accounts in Reno, and the pug-setting favor continued. Later that day Big C asked me if my mom wouldn't mind watching her for the next couple of weeks while he was on the road and at two trade shows....

And yep you might've guessed it by now, but that puglet never left Tahoe again :)

Bella was a stubborn bitch at times. She would sneeze and blow snot bubbles at you. She snored like a lumberjack. But she had the most spunk and personality you could ever want out of a lap dog. I grew up with "big" dogs – German Shepherds, Labs, Goldens, etc – and always used to laugh at little runts like Bella.

Chase and Bella Playing Nice with a Bone from Chappy on Vimeo.

Bella Jealous of Mocha's Long Legs in the Snow from Chappy on Vimeo.

That dog more than just changed my opinion – it melted my heart and leaves me now with a broken one. At the same time, though, I really can only put on a big smile with tears rolling down my face and chuckle at some of the photos and video that I dug up of her over the years.

Rest in peace there Bella...we’ll all truly miss you

Finch Appears Today on Fuel TV

2009-11-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

Airing Wednesday, November 11 at 9:00 pm Eastern Time (6:00 pm Pacific Time) and telecast three additional times, Andy Finch and musical guest The Antlers will appear on “The Daily Habit.”
Today, the winner of the Big World Heli Challenge, halfpipe aerialist Andy Finch is back on The Habit. Plus, actor and original Lost Boy and Goonie Corey Feldman drops in to tell us about his Halloween project, Splatter. Also, musical guest, The Antlers, perform on The Habit sound stage.

Andy Finch’s sponsors include: Giro, Rip Curl, Palmer, Monster, Go211.com, Northstar, and PortersTahoe.com

JT climbing El Cap

2009-11-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

Finally, I am back in the Yosemite Valley to finish the mission that I set out for this May. I will be climbing "the Nose", El Cap's most classic popular route. I will be following my Bulgarian friend Ivo Ninov, he knows what he is doing. So do my friends Bjarte Bo and Eiliv Ruud. They are visiting from Norway with Tom Erik Heimen who, like me is a rookie. This makes our team a team of 5. Looking forward to some vertical camping with good friends.

Yesterday, we fixed the first mini pitch and hauled one haul bag of gear up there. Today we will continue that process, so that once we get a good weather window, we can charge up the mountains with the first 4 pitches fixed (ropes set up for us to easily ascend). It takes some time to organize all the gear and food and everything for these climbing operations. Fascinating stuff.

Something for the Kids

2009-11-09T22:12:00.000-08:00

SKIing and snowboarding for Disabled and underprivileged Children and older Kids

SkiDUCK is a national organization dedicated to enriching the lives of disabled and underprivileged children by sharing the joys of skiing and snowboarding.

We are committed to partnering with local organizations with similar goals of serving disabled or underprivileged children. In areas where similar programs exist, we’re not looking to reinvent the wing. Rather, we seek to assist other organizations fulfill their goals by providing additional funding, coordinating with other providers, and sharing best-practices.

If you are interested in making a donation to the organization or want to see if skiduck is available in your area visit skiduck.org

My 2010 Salomon Ski Review

2009-11-09T17:59:00.001-08:00

A huge perk of being a professional skier is the amount of gear we will receive from our sponsors. Salomon is no exception and in fact are one of the better companies in making sure their athletes have exactly what they need. Thus, I basically have the entire Salomon Freeski line in my garage with a whole range of skis to select from. So what do I choose? This is the question that I would like to discuss and give my personal review of what I ride and why.

Basically I ride the Geisha 75% of the time, the Czar 22% and the Lady or Mai Tai the other 3%. Here is my explanation as to why...

The GEISHA
dimensions: 128-99-118 mm
lengths: 164, 173 cm
300 mm of rocker in tip
Full woodcore with a layer of bamboo
Basalt dampening system

The Geisha is the twin sister ski to the men's Shogun. The skis are exactly the same except for the graphics. This ski is a replacement of the Gun and Scarlet, a ski I would ride a lot, but with much needed improvements (like a switch to a full woodcore instead of a foam core). I ski on the 182 length, which isn't going to production due to the lack of interest by the buyers, but if you're a charging female that wants a longer ski just opt for the Shogun. If you can't find the Geisha in your size, get the Shogun because you don't want to miss out on this ski.

This is the ski I choose to ride about 75% of the time. The reason I prefer this ski the most is it is the most all-around ski in my quiver. The ski is playful from the bamboo giving it a pop-like response yet it's still stiff enough due to it's full woodcore, I know this sounds like an advertisement but both of these components of construction really make a difference. I find that the Geisha rallies really well off the groomers (off piste)- in powder, crud, ice, whatever- and totally rips on groomers/hard pack just as well.

When I compete on the Freeride World Tour I never veer away from this ski. This is due to the fact that if I was to hit an icy or more hard pack section in my run, I am more confident that these skis will hold.

When I film I choose the Geisha the majority of the time because I can stomp cliffs better than on the Czars. Due to me being lighter in weight I have a hard time sinking the Czars thus being more prone to either wheeling-out or back-slapping, neither of which I want to do. The unfortunate side to choosing the Geisha over the Czar, however, is the potential to really butter turns or float quite the same way you can on the Czar or other reverse camber skis. The Geisha has a little bit of reverse camber in the front of the ski, which makes it better for powder than the traditional camber ski, but it's not the ski I choose for the ultimate deep powder day. That ski would be the Czar...

The CZAR
dimensions: 131-111-121 mm
lengths: 166, 174, 182, 190 cm
670 mm of rocker in tip
Full woodcore

I believe the Czar is an approachable reverse camber ski that just about anyone can have fun on. I admit, the first run I ever took on these skis a few years ago I wasn't that excited, but then I adjusted to the ski and found them opening up a side of skiing I wasn't accustomed to, the reverse camber. The reason this ski works for all skiing abilities is the fact that there is only reverse camber in the front half of the ski, thus allowing the ski to be able to handle hard pack, groomers and crud much better than a full reverse camber ski. I'm not fond of feeling like a gaper when I hit groomers or a funky patch of snow that was affected by the sun in the backcountry, so I particularly like the reverse-camber-only-in-the-tip feature because it makes the ski more versatile. Another factor of versatility that I have found is the dimensions of the ski, it's not ginormous underfoot so I'm able to manage the ski, not let the ski control me.

I also find this ski to be very playful. It's a ski that is really easy to maneuver. The Czar took my potential to throw my ski sideways and butter a turn to a level I had never experienced before, so much fun! The skis seem to have a lot of pop to them as well. I feel like I can bounce and catch air off of anything.

I ski the Czar on different lengths, depending on the circumstances. I generally ride the 174, but when I get lucky and head up to Alaska to ski bigger lines I ski on the 182. I feel that since I am smaller in size the 182 Czars are like my version of the big daddy Rockers.

The LADY:
dimensions: 128-86-114 mm
lengths: 153, 161, 169 cm
210 mm of rocker in tip
Full woodcore

The Lady skis are great all-around skis, but I don't ski on them very much because I prefer the beefier Geisha. The Lady skis feel lighter and less stiff than the Geishas and thus turn easier. I think this is a good ski if someone chooses to ski groomers a lot more than off-piste. They do not handle speed and crud like the Geishas do, but I expect the female that would like these skis better does not prefer to ever ski the crud or be the fastest person on the groomers. The times I choose to ride this ski is when it's a softer spring day and I plan to go in the park to hit the pipe or jumps. This ski is a little stiffer than a park & pipe ski due to its full woodcore, and thus a more all-around ski than a park specific ski.

TC Preview

2009-11-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

So heres a little preview of what to come from the Traveling Circus stop in Tahoe. I didn't want to give too much away so this is really short preview. To see pictures Rom took click the Title or the link below. Rom nice shots and thanks for the photos.

FYI: The Traveling Circus loves Porters.

TC Preview from Boreal from Nick Baron on Vimeo.

SF "Wine Ski Beer Brew" Festival & Sale - Day 1 Recap

2009-11-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

If you're within a couple hour radius of Fort Mason in San Francisco reading this with your feet kicked up, fresh coffee to your side, straight maxin' and relaxin' on a Sunday morning.....well my strong recommendation would be to get out of lounge mode and into shopping mode.

That's because yesterday, Saturday, here at Snowbomb's "Wine Ski Beer Brew" Festival & Sale was hopping busy with lots and lots of people walking out with new skis, snowboards, bindings, boots, jackets, pants, goggles, gloves, and everything else snow related. They also seemed to have a a pretty good smile on their faces - especially by about 6pm - after a full day of sampling from a lot of local Napa and Sonoma wineries.

That was the "wine" portion of the weekend, and well today is the "brew" half. So here's how this works. $20 gets you into the event with the mega sale and the killer deals and most all the California resorts with their booths and "show special" ticket and pass deals. For another $20 you then get a beer glass and access to all of today's awesome breweries and micro and craft beer proprietors.

So let me recap. Fort Mason, San Francisco across from the infamous Marina Safeway. Snowbomb "Ski Wine Brew Board" Festival. PortersTahoe.com's $1 Million sale. And all the beer you want. $20 + $20 gets you here.

Maybe you'll get to see Chappy....or maybe another Tahoe legend athlete like Daron Rahlves - our good friend and most decorated skier in US history.

:)

Traveling Circus Episode 2

2009-11-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

LINE Traveling Circus Episode 2 - No Snow? No Problem from Line Skis on Vimeo.

Snowbomb SF "Ski Wine Beer Brew" Festival and Sale

2009-11-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

If you're anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend, November 7th and 8th, swing on by Fort Mason across from the infamous Safeway in the Marina. Our friends over at Snowbomb.com have put together an awesome follow up to last's years inaugural "Ski, Wine, Board, Brew" Festival & Sale. It's a pretty cool concept as wineries and breweries have booth displays right along side all the Lake Tahoe and Mammoth resorts....and us....PortersTahoe!

For the $20 price of admission you get:

* Mammoth 2 for 1 Lift Tickets
* Free Dodge Ridge or Bear Valley Lift Ticket
* Free burrito at Wahoo's
* Free year's subscription to either Freeskier or Snowboarder magazines
* Access to our $1 Million worth's of last year's ski and snowboard equipment and clothing all at 40% to 75% off!!

And for another $20???

* You get a glass and all the wine or beer you can taste test :)

So as Cal Worthington used to say, "C'mon down!!" We've got tons of snowboards, skis, boots, bindings, clothing, and accessories for you to choose from...and you can get sloshed while doing it!!

Event goes from 11am to 8pm today on Saturday, November 7th, and from 11am to 6pm tomorrow on Sunday. Enjoy the little photo montage of the journey of some of the very same Burton Snowboards gear and clothing that you might be buying from us at this sale!!

:)

Off to the beach in Peru

2009-11-05T04:35:00.000-08:00

After a week in Huaraz and our trek through the Cordillera Blanca we took a night bus to the city of Trujillo and cruised ov er to the neighboring beach town of Huanchaco. Huanchaco is a small fishing vilage that has become popular recently with tourists. It boasts plenty of easy surf, and local fishermen who still use "caballitos" which are reed boats that they ride out to their nets. They say that they invented surfing on them too.... I´d attach some photos, but the computer that I´m currently using doesn´t even have USB ports, so maybe later. In any event, I tried to surf, they key word being "try", since I´ve tried to surf about 7 days my entire life I´m not all that great at it as you might imagine.
We hung outin Huanchaco for about three days and lounged on the beach, caught the sunsets, and tried not to let anyone steal our stuff. It seems like almost everyone wants a piece of tourists in this country... We visited some cool ruins called the Huacas del sol y de la Luna. Part of the history of the Moche culture which goes back more than 2000 years. Some of their buildings are still standing, and excavation has revealed original paint and intricate artwork. Pretty cool.

From Huanchaco we headed north almost to the Ecuadorian border to a town called Mancora. A nice hippy beach town with a small point break that is crowded, but great for beginners. It was also Peru´s Kite boarding capital, and it was cool to see tons of people out there throwing down. I´d like to take the time to learn how, maybe with some of those cool waterskis that Cody got to use on those big waves...
After a day in Mancora it hit me, what´s a trip to a third world country without a crushing intestinal virus? I wouldn´t know because I got hit with some of the worst stomach problems I´ve ever had, including a sweet fever that lasted for three days. I was stoked. I couldn´t do anything but tear up the bathroom and pop advil like candy to get rid of the body ache that I had.

Unfortunately I didn´t get to enjoy Mancora as much as I would have liked, but it is a cool town and worth visiting especially if you are into kite surfing. We loaded up and headed south on a bus to Lima, and caught a flight to Cusco. The bus ride to Cusco is 24 hours, the flight is 1 hour....worth the extra 50 bucks for sure. Cusco is the starting point for treks to MachuPicchu, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Probably the most beautiful town we´ve been to by far, too bad everyone here wants to sell you something, everyone...

Today we´re going white water rafting. Apparently the water levels are low since it is the end of the dry season. Should be fun anyway... Tomorow is the start of out four day trek on the Onca Trail which ends in MachuPicchu. I´m excited to get back in the woods and away from pushy vendors that is for sure. Hopefully there will be a computer that I can use to upload photos.

All for now.

Jeremy

Ski Cross starts in Glenshire

2009-11-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Powder Magazine Reader's Poll 2010

2009-11-02T11:19:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Powder Magazine Reader's Poll is on! The Powder Awards are like the Oscars in the ski industry, so go vote for your favorite skiers (hopefully I'm included with others from the Porter's Team roster!) If a name doesn't pop up you can still type it in and it counts. Just click on this link... Powder Mag Reader's Choice Poll

Tow-In Skiing

2009-10-31T21:23:00.001-07:00

I skied on a double-overhead wave today. Yes I said SKIED. It was unexplainabley awesome. A dream from 12 years of age coming true at 26. Trip report to come. For now, ponder what you think these skis can do in Maui.

Happy Halloween from Dangerzone and Easy Loungin

2009-10-31T11:37:00.000-07:00

Dangerzone Season 2 Episode 2 - "This is Halloween" from Nick Visconti on Vimeo.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from GET IN THE VAN

2009-10-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Check out some early season boarding from they boys at GET IN THE VAN.

Free Download for Vaca-Films new movie So Much To Say

2009-10-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

The movie is up for free download and is HD at vaca-films.com
Check it out when you have a free minute! Thanks to everyone who made this movie possible, Thank you to Porters Tahoe and all the other sponsors that helped us out!

Field Productions' Open Your Eyes

2009-10-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Pre season conditioning

2009-10-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

By Iris Lazzareschi:

Only in week three of ski conditioning at Crossfit Avalanche gym and the snow is flying, what are you doing to get ready? The hype of the season isn’t dying, only being fueled by these little teasers of cold weather and precipitation. I wanted to be really ready for this year mentally and physically because I want to get the most out of it, making it the best one yet, because every season should be the best one yet right?! Getting physically ready for me used to be imagined as the first week of basketball practices or that first couple weeks of riding the mountains, when your sore every day, your body is hating you, but you keep going at it so hard, because it just feels so good. This season has been different, in that, I didn’t want to get ready for the season in season; I wanted to be pushed like I was playing team sport again and have it be progressive. I got word of this new gym in Tahoe Vista that is a “Crossfit Gym” which I had heard of before, that it was for the athletes of athletes and included these work outs of the day (WOD) that were different everyday (mentally stimulating) and challenged even the most in shape of people you could pick out (physically stimulating). The workouts challenge you as much or gradual as you prefer and will get your body moving in natural motions; getting stronger, more flexible and doing all this with a professional by your side helping with correct form. The Trainers, gym founders/owners; Myles Lewis and Travis Weaver, have been kicking my butt into shape and now just in week three of a ski conditioning class and I already feel stronger than I have going into any other season. I highly recommend checking out this “Crossfit” thing for yourself and come into the gym with nothing to lose because your first class is free. Being a part of this I get excited for class even when I don’t feel like going because I know when I leave, I’m so stoked I went and feeling great.

check out their Facebook too

"Drop Me In The Water"

2009-10-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Drop Me In The Water from Nick Baron on Vimeo.

The last float down the Truckee river for the summer. Our college buddy Christian came to visit so we went big. PBR's, SaveMart sandwiches, a bag of wine, and the GoPro. River madness and catching crawdads made for one of the best floats of the year. Four dudes and one chick the usual Tahoe ratio did not hold anyone back from having a kick ass time. Enjoy this great feature "Drop Me In The Water".

Snowboard-Mag post of Vaca-Films Premier

2009-10-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, Check out the link from the good times at the So Much to Say Premier on Snowboard-mag.com and look for free download of the movie at vaca-films.com

http://snowboard-mag.com/content/so-much-say-world-premiere-36922

Hiking Sylvester's Slot

2009-10-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

The other day I got the pleasure to go on a hike with JT Holmes and a man from The Freeride World Tour, David, to the top of the Tram Face. JT leg the way straight up Sylvester's Slot to the top. After getting an amazing glimpse at one of the Golden Eagles that live on the face JT sat down with David and gave one of the most amazing interviews ever coat on tape.

The run down the backside was just as fun as the craziness on the way up. We ran down the sandy areas reaching speeds up to 15 mph +. Once the fun had been done we sat down at Sopa in the Village and enjoyed some food and thought of more areas where we could get it done.

JPi5 Winners

2009-10-27T11:58:00.001-07:00

Team Moment JPI.5 Entry from Stonebroke Films on Vimeo.

Check out the winning edit from the JPi5 event.

Matt Nelson

2009-10-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Matt Nelson Promo 09 from Stonebroke Films on Vimeo.

I got my eye on this kid check him out. He's got a big bag of tricks and super nice style. His whole crew is pretty ill they recently won the Boreal JPi5 event. This is his 2009 promo vid shot in only 4 days, Great Production quality by Stonebroke films.

Chas Guldemond Interview Snowboard Mag

2009-10-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Photo: Colin Adair
The hardest working man in snowboarding, Chas Guldemond, just got a great interview conducted by Tawnya Schultz of Snowboard Mag. Check IT