Snow Sports
Archive
Larry Olmsted holds the official record for "Most Pistes Skied in 8 Hours," but he knows his number—64—can be beaten. And he wants you to try.
A graceful ponytail helps ease the pains of a childhood long gone
In 1958, Sun Valley Idaho’s Ed Scott, an engineer and ski racer, invented the first tapered aluminum ski pole. The new aluminum pole replaced bamboo and steel, and launched Scott, which became a leading manufacturer of ski gear.
During expeditions to the world's most remote mountains, athletes often leave out the details about getting there. Not so with Xavier de Le Rue and the team from Mission Antarctic, who are on a month-long quest to snowboard new lines in Antarctica. After flying…
Whenever the seasons start to change, I feel like I have to shave my legs far more often to achieve the same results. What gives?
In the last week, Sweetgrass Productions has dropped two new videos. Yesterday, Nick Waggoner and crew released the teaser to their new ski movie Valhalla, a story about “one man's search to rediscover the freedom on his youth.” The video…
All-mountain skis. They've been made before. But all-condition skis? Ones that can bulldoze through crud, that still have the flexibility and sheer girth to carve sweeping, surfing turns in deep powder? It sounds impossible, right? Anyone who has used a set of true powder skis on resort groomers knows they…
The big mountain specialist with a knack for hucking huge air and developing his own touring bindings and boots discusses saving his feet, designing gear, and how to get after it in the backcountry
Make the most of that noblest of winter weekend sports
New research done for Protect Our Winters and the Natural Resources Defense Council puts dollar signs on something we already know: climate change is killing the snow sports industries. yuriy kulik/Shutterstock Jeremy Jones and Chris Steinkamp, founder and executive director, respectively,…
I like to listen to music when I'm out skiing or snowboarding. Does that put me at greater risk of injury?
The hardest part of watching Jordan Manley's third episode of A Skier's Journey is knowing that it's the last in this year's series. That thought quickly fades away as the stunning footage of Iceland transports you out…
One of the pioneers of big-mountain skiing in North America and his 17-year-old son, who is following in his dad's footsteps, discuss skiing first descents, the importance of being calculated, and how to stay alive in a sport full of risk
I know many resorts scale back their operations when the wind picks up, but is it really possible to get blown off of a mountain?
The idea for the five-part B.A.S.I.C.S. series hit J.T. Holmes after a friend of his died who shouldn't have. “This person simply made a bad choice, chose an objective on a mountain that was completely above his skill set,” says Holmes. “He was doomed…
Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Home to the best unexplored ski terrain on the planet, occasional town-crushing avalanches, and only a hint of Taliban presence. Saddle up for an intrepid boot-packing expedition deep into the Hindu Kush.
Fat bike slednecking: A sport is born. Photo: Ian Anderson This photo popped up on my Facebook feed last week. It was taken by Ian Anderson, an outdoor industry public relations professional, accomplished outdoor athlete, and father of two kids (ages two and five). Ian lives…
One of skiing's most recognizable icons discusses fame, death metal, and the lessons he has learned during a decades-long career in a sport that can wear people down pretty quickly
In Outside's November issue, Megan Michelson shares her haunting story about surviving a fatal avalanche in the backcountry of Stevens Pass in Washington's Cascades. It's a thoughtful, in-depth look at a mistake that cost several skiers…
Both Yaktrax and MICROspikes tout themselves as superior traction devices that keep you upright on snow and ice. Which product should I buy for winter running?
Historically, installing chains on your car to get over a mountain pass has been an awful task. Nearly always it involves crawling around under your car, usually in the middle of a storm or in deep and cold snow drifts, freezing your hands off. It's typically wet, cold, miserable, and…
Last fall, ESPN said All.I.Can was the best movie in skiing. The film blew up after a clip of skier J.P. Auclair performing tricks in three British Columbia towns went viral. He skied down stairs, jumped a clothesline in someone's backyard, and sent sparks…
The British Columbia-based videographer-photographer discusses Dubai’s ski community, what draws him to mountain people, and being naked—a lot—in Japan
What started as a glorious powder day ended in a desperate fight for survival after three skiers were buried by a killer avalanche in the backcountry of Stevens Pass, in Washington's Cascades. Megan Michelson lived to tell about it, but she can't shake off a haunting question: How did a group of expert skiers make such a deadly mistake?
I want to support my local charity by participating in their marquee event this winter, but fear that diving into ice-cold water could be dangerous. What do the experts say?
“I'm on the edge of the largest sand desert on the planet, where every night, it snows.” So begins the narration in the second episode of filmmaker Jordan Manley's series “A Skier's Journey.” Skiers Chad Sayers and…
It's one of the most dangerous outdoor sports for pets, but if you invest the time and discipline in proper obedience, it can be fun for everyone
Not pretty, but powerful. Part of the Elk Creek methane-to-energy system. Photo: Vessels Coal Gas Before it was at the vanguard of North American luxury ski resorts, Aspen, Colorado, was a mining town. Now, Aspen Skiing Company has made a $5.4 million…
The preeminent female ski mountaineer of our time discusses recovering from the tragedies of last winter, breaking into the backcountry, and schussing on an erupting volcano
As an athlete, is my skin more susceptible to damage during the winter? What can I do to protect it?
The 29-year-old Swedish ski-mountaineer with an elegant outlook on life discusses fear, risk, and that one time he broke his neck in an avalanche that swept him 400 meters down ice, rock, and snow
Two years ago Klymit launched its Variable Warmth Technology in a vest with sealed air/gas chambers that the wearer could inflate with his own breath, or Argon (the gas used to insulate between glass layers in your home's windows). Its premise: bodies change…
A rough map of Linsdau's route Photo: AaronLinsdau.com In a Monday blog post, American skier Aaron Linsdau reported from South America on the gear he was packing into Antarctica. One picture stands out. It shows two of his five duffel bags…
On March 11, 2011, an underwater earthquake that measured 9.0 on the Richter scale caused a tsunami that may have killed an estimated 20,000 people in Japan, flattened tens of thousands of homes and businesses, and led to a disaster at…
It’s that time of year again: The first snowflakes are falling; winter hats and gloves, jackets, boots and skis and snowboards are being pulled from the back of the closet. Ski season won’t be here for a few weeks unless you’re a diehard frost skier.
When Frederick Reimers wrote the 2012 Adventure Bucket List for Outside this past spring, he made sure to include neck-dusting runs in the dark at Niseko, the snowiest ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan. Here's a bit…
Versatile. That’s how our East Coast tester described Brooks Range's four-way stretch, water-resistant Isto softshell jacket. He spent 100 days last winter and spring skiing, hiking and ciimbing in snow, rain, slush, sleet, freezing rain, some more snow, sun, blue skies, and any other…
Snow gunning. Photo: Tim in Syndey/Flickr Pointing to the sacredness of the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff, Arizona, a coalition of Native American tribes has been fighting the development and expansion of Arizona Snowbowl ski resort since 1979. It remains…
Here's the trailer to the third season of A Skier's Journey, a Web series by Arc'teryx and Gore-tex that begins on October 29. —Joe Spring@joespringfacebook.com/joespring.1…
Benedikt Böhm on Manaslu. Photo: Dynafit Roughly a week after the deadly avalanche that claimed at least 11 lives on Manaslu, German climber and skier Benedikt Böhm summited and skied down the world's eighth highest peak without the use of supplemental oxygen in less than…
Unlike traditional snowboard bindings that use two ratchet straps to secure your boot to your binding, K2's National uses Auto, a new device that tightens both front and rear straps with a single ratchet. Auto saves weight and ups the speed and ease of…
Just before an avalanche swept through Camp III on Manaslu this past Sunday morning around 4:30 a.m., skier Glen Plake was resting inside his tent with teammate Gregory Costa. Strong wind gusts kept them awake. Their teammate Remy Lécluse was in another tent. The three…
A reindeer running in Norway. Photo: Shutterstock Here's something that might not surprise: Scientists have used a model to predict that if a formation of 241 snowkiters were to fly across…
There has been no better series about the making of an adventure movie than Sweetgrass Productions' 12-episode collection On the Road. The Colorado-based crew chronicled all the stink, snow, and blood that went into making the ski flick…
Reporter Devon O'Neil of ESPN has closely followed the career of Swedish alpinist and skier Andreas Fransson for years. When the trailer for Tempting Fear, a new movie about Fransson was released this week, he wrote…
With the Chinese government restricting foreign access to Tibet and, thus, Cho Oyu, skiers and climbers may head to Manaslu in Nepal. Cho Oyu is the world's sixth highest peak, and one of the best options for skiers looking to make an 8,000m descent. Benedikt…
Due to low snowfall and unstable avalanche conditions in many areas of the lower 48 this past winter, the crew at Powderwhore decided to follow skiers and snowboarders to more exotic locales. They packed light and fast, so their gear didn't interfere or slow down…
Despite a less than stellar winter for snow on the East Coast in 2011, Meathead Films and their athletes decided to stick out warm temperatures, rainfall, and, later, icy slopes. They were rewarded with at least one big storm that offered plenty of powder.
Combine guerilla filmmaking with rails, concrete, and skis and you have Stept Productions new movie The Eighty Six. It's not all about pushing boundaries in the city. The crew visits pipes and mountains too. Still, the trailer makes it clear that the thrill comes from notching new, restricted ski spots…
https://www.youtube.com/embed/D7TB8b2t3QEJ.T. Holmes delivers Google's Glass to Sergey Brin. In case you missed it, J.T. Holmes is having kind of a big year. He ski-BASE jumped off a 260-foot cliff with…
“Every night we went to bed patching all the holes, doublechecking all the lines, and every morning we woke reminded of the Schwarzenegger strength of Murphy’s Law in these parts. For nearly two weeks, anything and everything was just going to shit.” —On the Road: Termas There's…
When Jimmy Chin calls out a new adventure film, it's worth paying attention. “This is gonna be epic … RT @Outside_TV: New trailer @absinthefilms #Resonance is up on our FB page! Looks Unreal! #snowboarding…
On October 9, Salomon Freeski TV will will kick off its sixth season. The series will include 12 episodes shot on location in Russia, Japan, Chile, Austria, France, Sicily, Canada, and the United States. Here's a taste of the stories to come. H/T:…
Daron Rahlves just outside of Juneau, Alaska. Photo: Mark Fisher, Fisher Creative/Facebook Anyone familiar with the Exposure section of Outside will instantly recognize the name…
Benedikt Böhm leads the charge. Photo: Dynafit One of the next big high-altitude speed feats will take place on Cho Oyu. In late September, German mountaineers Benedikt Böhm, 34, and…
Dave Riley maintains that he's only renegotiating his contract, but several employees have said that the CEO has been absent since returning from a vacation to find the locks on his office had been changed
Further poster. Photo: Teton Gravity Research Earlier this week, Jeremy Jones and TGR released the trailer for the movie Further. It's the…
Toy Soldier Productions just released the trailer to their new ski and snowboard flick, Act Natural. The movie shows a host of freeskiers and snowboarders testing their skills on slopes, concrete, and rails from California to Minnesota. The movie…
Here's a different kind of ski flick. Chalk'n Ski is a one-minute short that took more than 20 hours to make. Chris Dickey of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, directed artist Emily Feuz as she sketched out ski scenes…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=P9IrVHoTwjc Three separate ski and snowboard tours joined forces last week to become one international series for freeriding. The Swatch Freeride World Tour, the Freeskiing World Tour, and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding will become the Swatch Freeride World…
Since the winter of 2004, visitors to Les Arcs ski resort in the French Alps have woken up to find sprawling snow patterns that have a strange resemblance to crop circles. The prints stretch across otherwise untrammelled hillsides and the depressions left by frozen lakes.
For years, the team at Teton Gravity Research had talked about making a historical film about skiing Alaska. This past year, snow conditions provided a little push. “Essentially we had a weird feeling that it was not going to snow much in the lower…
Ring A Fing. Photo: Albert Lewis When Albert Lewis saw the faces of the dogs waiting to start the 2012 Iditarod in Anchorage, Alaska, his thoughts about the sport of dogsledding shifted. “I…
This past spring, we screened Solitaire, a movie about skiing and snowboarding the remote slopes of South America. For those that haven't heard of the movie, it is a different sort of beast. Filmmakers…
On Tuesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced that it would include the late skier Sarah Burke in its 2012 Olympic Hall of Fame class. Burke died this past January after suffering an injury while training.
Black Diamond, maker of climbing gear, headlamps, skis, poles, packs, and more, announced today that it's adding adventure sports protective gear to its long list of exceptional offerings by acquiring POC. “POC and Black Diamond were both founded as solutions-based companies, focused on providing unmatched personal protection for active outdoor…
If any skiers ever needed motivation for learning video, they have it. On Thursday, Teton Gravity Research announced a new online video contest with a grand prize of $100,000, called The CoLab. Athletes will upload their videos to tetongravity.com, users…
A Q&A with an Outside in Aspen participant
A Q&A with an Outside in Aspen participant
In October 2009 freeskier Angeli VanLaanen was diagnosed with Lyme disease, 14 years after she first contracted the illness. As a result of the late diagnosis, the 26-year-old former X-Games competitior has had a number of health issues. Now, she's working to make…
A resort lights up. Photo: S. Borisov/Shutterstock The Golden Eagle Award is not, as it sounds, an accolade for Boy Scouts. It's an accolade for ski areas that give a hoot, so to speak, and are actively reducing their environmental impacts. The…
Just how much material is really needed to build a chair that can stand up to every type of everyday stress? That's the question designers Clemens Weisshaar and Reed Kram are trying to answer by employing new technology from Audi and the butts of…
Chris Davenport in Alaska, by Christian Pondella/Red Bull Skier Chris Davenport has set his next goal. On May 5, the man who skied all of Colorado’s 14ers in less…
Brooks Range, purveyor of fine snow safety gear, has introduced a BYO–build your own–program so that skiers, sled heads, and anyone else heading into avy country can be prepared with a tool that fits their preferences. You choose the shaft, edge, blade, handle, and color, and then…
A highlight reel of the extreme skier, courtesy of Matchstick Productions.
ext_script = "//player.ooyala.com/player.js?width=640&deepLinkEmbedCode=w2a2Q5NDrlq_Aw3AD_yRCxreHTrhg7Fy&height=360&embedCode=w2a2Q5NDrlq_Aw3AD_yRCxreHTrhg7Fy" Red Bull just posted a three-minute trailer for “McConkey,” the 90-minute film about the life and death of Shane McConkey, a pioneer in freesking and BASE jumping. The 39-year-old American…