Ralph Backstrom has done it again! The Squaw Valley shredder won the third stop of the Freeride World Tour in Courmayeur with a smooth and blazing fast line. Matched with his win at FWT Revelstoke and his second place at FWT Chamonix, Backstrom has tightened his grip on the overall lead in the tour going into the next stop – FWT Rodal, Feb 25-March 2. Congrats Ralph, Keep Charging!!
Check out Ralph Backstrom’s crushing second place run at the Freeride World Tour – Chamonix. After winning the first FWT stop in Revelstoke, Backstrom leads the tour going into stop three at Courmayeur Jan 28-29.
Check out the video Ralph Backstrom put together of his winning run from Revelstoke during the first stop of the 2012 Freeride World Tour. Backstrom will be competing in the next two stops of the FWT in Chamonix and Courmayeur, January 21-29. Keep charging Ralph!
Check out Jones team rider Forrest Shearer in ‘Last Light’, an epic film short from Sweetgrass productions. The video captures Patagonia ambassadors Forrest, Stephan Drake and Johan Jonsson as they hike and ride lines outside of Haines, AK.
Teton Village, Wyoming — The award-winning producers from leading multimedia action sports brand Teton Gravity Research (TGR) announce the production of an original, exclusive Jeremy Jones’ Deeper television series for Outside Television, the only television network dedicated to the active outside enthusiast.
Jeremy Jones’ Deeper, a 10 episode series from legendary snowboarder Jeremy Jones and TGR, will premier exclusively on Outside Television this year. The series will give viewers an intense look at the personalities, adventure, drama, and excitement from two years of filming Deeper, showcasing some of the greatest snowboarding adventures on the planet. Pushing the limits, Jones and the crew forego the use of fuel-powered machines and go deeper into the mountains using a simpler method – the human body.
“We’re really excited to partner with Outside Television and bring action sports to a larger audience with Jeremy Jones’ Deeper,” says Steve Jones, TGR co-founder. “The series is about challenging the human spirit, and the desire to go deeper and look around the corner. Each episode will have a pointed goal from start to finish and, whether you’re a snowboarder or not, viewers will be able to relate to the trials and tribulations experienced, including failure and success.”
An independently owned network, Outside Television is currently available on cable in more than 110 premier resort destinations throughout the United States. The network, which broadcasts in full HD, serves those passionate about adventure travel and adventure sports, including skiing, mountain biking and surfing, and consistently ranks number one in Nielsen ratings in its resort markets. Outside Television is currently in negotiations with several major cable operators as it expands its footprint nationally. A listing of specific viewing channels is available here.
You like POW? You like watching POV? We got it! Jones team riders Neil McNab and Luca Pandolfi have been getting after it in the Alps already this winter. Spend a few minutes in their boots.
Korduroy.tv is a surf website spreading digital aloha. They caught up with Jones Team Rider Forrest Shearer for a cool interview that talks about the broader life lessons Forrest has learned from a life in the mountains. You can check out a dozen other rad Korduroy.tv webisodes on the Korduroy.tv Kickstarter page or at Korduroy.tv.
Forrest Shearer was also featured in a video for the Wilderness Society. This one features footy of an especially rowdy double dog leg line Forrest layed down in the Wasatch. Check it out and help spread the message… ‘Use your mind and your imagination, hike up and have some fun!’ Great stuff Forrest!
I have no qualms about you spending your holiday cash on a Hovercraft splitboard, but just in case you got a little extra $$$ burning a hole in your bib pants…Have you considered investing in an avalanche airbag pack?
I’ll admit that I had passed off the airbag purchase for a couple years. Between the cost and the limited pack size options I had never seen an airbag pack that felt right for me. As it turns out, I waited too long to make the investment. It’s only speculation, but had I been wearing an airbag pack during an avalanche I was caught in last March, I would have probably ended up with fewer injuries.
The reason why I feel an airbag would have helped me avoid injury is the same reason airbags have saved lives in dozens of instances around the world. When properly deployed, airbags help keep you afloat and increase the chances that you’ll end up on top of the slide rather than buried within it. The principle is much like the bowl of chips sitting in front of you. When you shake the bowl the biggest chips rise to the top while the broken chips fall to the bottom. I got pummeled in my accident when I got sucked to the bottom of the slide as it tumbled down the slope. Would an airbag have helped keep me off the bottom and saved me much pain? I wish I knew.
The airbag is not an acceptable alternative to a proper education in avalanche awareness however. Not putting yourself at risk in dangerous avy conditions will always be the best policy. But, the airbag is a proven precautionary measure. Jeremy Jones and the entire Jones snowboards team wears them when filming in avalanche prone mountain ranges even if the avy danger is moderate. You’ll also notice Travis Rice and John Jackson wearing an airbag pack in the Art Of Flight and Nicolas Mueller, not only wearing one, but deploying an airbag when caught in an avy filming for Absinthe’s Twelve in Turkey.
For a better perspective on how an airbag works in real life, check out the video below. This skier deploys a BCA airbag after getting caught in an avy while heli skiing in Alaska. At about the 40 second mark you can see the orange glow of his airbag deploying. He comes to a stop uninjured and on the surface.
It’s also to be noted that airbags have started to come down in price a little bit. The base model of most brands used to cost $1200. Now you can find packs for as little as $700. There are also several more airbag brands on the market each of which offers a few different pack sizes.
I have only seen a couple of the airbag packs in person so I’ll stop short of reviewing any in particular. If your interested in investing in an airbag check out all the links below and look out for a few of them at your local mountaineering shop.
ABS – ABS is one of the original airbag manufacturers. The ABS vario series allows packs of various sizes to be zipped on to a base unit. Price range – $900-1200.
Backcountry Access – The BCA float airbag is available in three sizes, 18, 30 and 36L and has good straps for snowboard carry. It is also one of the most affordable airbag packs. Price – $685-785
Snowpulse – Snowpulse is another OG airbag manufacturer. They have two different systems – the ‘Lifebag’ and the R.A.S removable system. The Lifebag system deploys an airbag that protects your head and neck from trauma. Price – $900-1200
Mammut – Mammut recently introduced an airbag pack that uses the Snowpulse R.A.S system. The R.A.S system is removable and can be used in either a 22L or 30L pack. Price (with canister) -$850
Wary – Wary makes two different style airbags – a 33 liter avi-pack and an avi-vest. The avi-vest holds just the basics – shovel, probe, beacon, and airbag. Price – $625 vest; $699 pack.
Mystery Ranch – The 43 liter Mystery Ranch Blackjack pack uses the removable Wary system and is one of the highest volume airbag packs on the market. Ski patrol and photogs take note. Price – $975
For info on where to re-fill airbag canisters check out this informative TGR forum posting.
Ryland Bell on his way to winning the splitboard division of the 2011 Dirksen Derby. Photo by Abe Blair.
The Fifth Annual Dirksen Derby went off last weekend at Mt. Bachelor in Bend, OR. It was the biggest year yet for the banked slalom race as over 300 shredders came out to celebrate a new season, rip some banked turns and donate to a good cause. All proceeds from the event benefit Josh Dirksen’s friend Tyler Eklund who was paralyzed in a snowboarding accident.
In addition to the standard race divisions, the Dirksen Derby also includes a splitboard division in which contestants have to run up a slope, drop down the slope, disassemble their splitboards, split up the hill, then drop down the course. Jones Snowboards team rider Ryland Bell won the splitboard race riding a Solution split, beating last year’s winner Adam Haynes. Fellow Jones rider, Ralph Backstrom came in just after Haynes and took third. Ryland credited a fast turnaround time into split mode for helping him win the race.
Photogs Abe Blair and Liam Gallagher shot a grip of sick pics at the event that are worth checking out. You can see Blair’s work on TWSnow.com. Peep Gallagher’s photos and video on ESPN.com.
