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

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 She has withdrawn from X Games competition, and Bright's sunny Vancouver forecast is now threatened by clouds of doubt.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?

AP – JJ Toland, communications director for the Sugarbush ski resort, holds the maple sap bucket used for …

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

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.

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snowboarder Kevin Pearce to be moved from critical care

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

• Utah Avalanche Center

Related Stories

• Avalanche danger high for the weekend

• Skier rescues friend following avalanche near Brighton

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Utah roads reopen after avalanches

January 24th, 2010 @ 4:45pm

By Nicole Gonzales

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Avalanche Center is still warning people of high danger in Utah's mountains. Several canyons were closed temporarily Sunday for cleanup and control.

An avalanche forced the closure of Logan Canyon for a little over an hour. Little Cottonwood Canyon was also closed for a short time due to snow on the road.
Ryan Hunt saw the avalanche happen around 11 a.m. in Logan Canyon. "All the sudden we come around the corner and there was a truck that just stopped for the avalanche and there was some more snow sliding down behind him," he said.
Drivers didn't wait for help. They started digging out the snow themselves, anxious to make it up the canyon.
"They had sleds and snowboards and little shovels and everything they could think of. I even saw a pan out there," Hunt said.
The Utah Highway Patrol said no one was injured in that avalanche, which spread snow 20 feet wide and four feet deep across U.S. Route 89.
The Utah Department of Transportation closed the highway while crews cleaned up the mess. The road was back open by 12:30 p.m.
UDOT was also busy down in the Salt Lake Valley. Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed on and off for most of the morning.
It finally opened for good after three additional hours of avalanche control.
"We try to do it as quickly as possible. We want people to enjoy the ski resorts, after all we do have the greatest snow on earth, but we want to make sure we do it in a safe manner," said UDOT Spokesman Adan Carrillo.
UDOT does not make the decision to shut down a canyon alone. People from the town of Alta, along with the ski resorts, the U.S. Forest Service and the Unified Police Department have a say as well.
"Every time they see that there's a need to close a canyon it's a pretty hard decision. They have to coordinate with a lot of officials," Carrillo said.
The Utah Avalanche Center has all Utah mountains on high alert Sunday, especially after a man was buried by one on Friday. Luckily, he got out alive, but officials say it's a reminder to always be cautious.
"I can barely run to my car, much less out run an avalanche. So we'll stay down here where it's safe," said snowshoer Robin Knebel.
The Unified Police Department said there were no planned restrictions on either canyon Sunday night.
E-mail: ngonzales@ksl.com

Avalanche kills 1 near Snowbasin

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

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 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.

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

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.

 

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

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.
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Story compiled with contributions from Jennifer Stagg and Marc Giauque.

Injured snowboarder has successful surgery on back

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.

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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

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

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Satch Jib Pipe Event Wrap Up 1/0/10

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

THE DRIFTER PREMIERE TOUR

Rob, director Taylor Steele & musician Jon Swift hit the road in November for a string of Drifter film premiere events.
Each show included a live acoustic set with Rob and Jon, a full-length showing of the film, and a Q & A with Rob and Taylor.

Thank you to everyone for coming out & supporting these events!

The Drifter tour visited the following cities:

11/04/09 | SAN DIEGO, CA | La Paloma Theater | Check out photos from the event | Surfline.com review
11/05/09 | LOS ANGELES, CA | Montalban Theater | Check out photos from the event
11/07/09 | COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA | Coconuts on the Beach
11/09/09 | WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NORTH CAROLINA | Blockade Runner Beach Resort
11/11/09 | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | Contemporary Art Center of Virginia
11/13/09 | NEW JERSEY | Algonquin Theater
11/15/09 | SANTA BARBARA, CA | Victoria Hall Theater
11/16/09 | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | Victoria Theater
11/17/09 | SANTA CRUZ, CA | Del Mar Theater
11/18/09 | SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA | Fremont Theater
11/19/09 | LAGUNA BEACH, CA | South Coast Theater

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

ROB MACHADO ON CNN.COM

Rob_Machado: Congrats to fellow Reef team rider Mick Fanning on another world tour victory! Cheers http://vimeo.com/8212865
18 December 2009, 12:12 pm

Photos by: Dustin Humphrey / Reel Sessions

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The Drifter Press Release
August 24, 2009
SURF CHAMP ROB MACHADO'S SOUL-SEARCHING DOCUMENTARY - THE DRIFTER - TO HAVE U.S. PREMIERE AT THE NEW YORK SURF FILM FESTIVAL ON SEPTEMBER 25TH,2009

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Lynn Neil - Local Utah woman up for the Dew Tour challenge

Local woman up for the Dew Tour challenge

By Jeff DeMoss (Standard-Examiner staff)

Last Edit: 1 day 11 hours ago (Jan 5 2010 - 5:02pm)

OGDEN -- When Lynn Neil was a youngster growing up in Jackson, Wyo., just seeing someone on a snowboard, especially a girl, was relatively rare.

Today, women are throwing down backside-720s in front of thousands of adoring fans, and Neil is getting right into the thick of it.

The 25-year-old Ogden resident is among the many athletes gearing up for this month's Winter Dew Tour competition at Snowbasin. After coming close to a spot in the womens' snowboard slopestyle finals at the tour's first stop in Breckenridge, Colo. last month, Neil has her sights on bigger things as the only competitor on the tour who calls Ogden home.

"I've been working on a couple of tricks I didn't do in Breck, so hopefully I'll have a few new ones to pull out of my hat," she said.

Neil finished first out of more than 20 competitors in the qualifying round at Breckenridge with a score of 91.67 out of a possible 100 points, but finished 10th in the preliminary round that sent only the top five to the finals.

"I fell on my runs in the prelims, so I'm just working on my consistency and my landings," she said.

Her first-place qualifying finish guaranteed her the chance to compete at Snowbasin as well as the final Winter Dew Tour stop at Mount Snow, Vt., in February.

Neil came to Ogden six years ago to attend Weber State University, where she founded the school's first snowboard club.

"They had a ski club, but no snowboard club when I got there," she said.

"It was hard at first, but it's grown, and the university and the local mountains have helped out with things like discount passes and travel. Now people are coming here because of the snowboard club."

She has since turned the reins of the club over to successors, but Neil and her longtime boyfriend/coach are actively involved in The Wasatch Project, a nonprofit group that helps up-and-coming snowboarders realize their dreams and potential in the sport.

She has become a regular on other tours such as the Burton Global Open Series, where she is currently ranked ninth out of 78 competitors. That tour and others have taken her around the world, from New Zealand to Europe to Canada.

"The Dew Tour is pretty similar to those, but it's publicized real heavily and marketed really well, so it's probably one of the biggest I've ever done," she said.

When summer hits the Northern Hemisphere, she heads south to ride in places like Argentina and New Zealand. But despite all the globetrotting, she maintains a soft spot in her heart for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, a world-class mountain in its own right where she learned to ski at a young age while her father worked there.

She ditched her skis for a snowboard in the fifth grade, and the rest is history in the making.

"I've always had a real competitive nature, and there weren't very many girls doing it, so I thought I would give it a shot," she said.

Neil trains in Park City most days, and enjoys living along the Wasatch Front for several reasons: Its local resorts, the central location between resorts in Colorado and California, and the presence of a major international airport in Salt Lake City.

She arrived in Ogden early enough to witness the city's rebirth as a hub of outdoor sports, and takes advantage of training facilities downtown like the Flowrider at the Salomon Center and The Jibyard nearby.

"It's pretty cool that we have all that right here in Ogden," she said.

Neil maintains a steady, year-round regimen of both outdoor and indoor training. And while she keeps setting her sights higher, she says it's all about taking things one day at a time.

"Hopefully I'll get better and better each year."

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Study: Ski Resorts Tell Tall Tales About Deep Snow

Study: Ski Resorts Tell Tall Tales About Deep Snow

AP

A snowboarder catches air at a resort in Maine. A recent Dartmouth report reveals that resorts report an average of 23 percent more snow on weekends than during the week.

Published: January 04, 2010

by Jeff Brady

Researchers at Dartmouth College have confirmed something that skiers and snowboarders have long suspected: Resorts sometimes boost their snowfall reports to attract more customers.

Eric Zitzewitz and Jon Zinman are both associate professors of economics and fans of snow sports. In their report, Wintertime for Deceptive Advertising, they found that ski areas report more snowfall on the weekends, and that there is no such "weekend effect" in government weather data.

Zinman says they gathered snowfall totals from ski area Web sites and then compared those numbers with government weather data. According to Zinman, resorts reported 23 percent more snow on weekends. And the resorts that had the most to gain by fluffing up their numbers did more of it.

According to Zinman, resorts with more people living within driving distance inflated their numbers more, as did resorts that don't offer money-back guarantees.

The researchers didn’t single out specific resorts in their report, choosing instead to make broad statements about the industry as a whole.

January 4, 2010 11:15 AM PST

Snow Camera Goggle snaps your skiing exploits

by Leonard Goh

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(Credit: Liquid Image)

From the makers of the Digital Underwater Camera Mask comes a new gizmo that lets adrenaline junkies capture their skiing adventures. Liquid Image will be showing off its new 335 Snow Camera Goggle at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas.

The shooter is part of the new Summit Series of ski masks with integrated cameras. The hands-free snapper has a 5-megapixel image sensor that's also capable of recording 720x480-pixel videos with audio. Controls are laid out on the right side of the snow goggles and are large to facilitate users wearing gloves. The eyewear has 16MB of internal memory which can be expanded via the microSD/SDHC card slot.

The 335 Snow Camera Goggle has an estimated retail price of $149 and should be showing up in June.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Originally posted at 2010 CES

Ski Tips from the Devil

By Jonathan Lawson on December 29, 2009 8:18 PM | No Comments

Ski Lessons from the hot house. Some say, "No snowballs in Hades!" I beg to differ. I will sit upon your shoulder and tell you a few of my favorite shortcuts for skiing better. But first, allow me to share where I received my idea for this topic.

I was listening to Scott Fox's podcast with Jack Humphrey. Jack wrote a post "Blog Promotion Tips from the Devil". I found it to be an interesting approach to the subject.

Basically the opposite approach of many writers in getting a point across. What about the random ski tip in leu of ski lesson given by well meaning friends or family members?

Those who ski often may have heard of "The Intermediate Rut". This is a point in which the skier's current technique prevents them from skiing Advanced to Expert terrain without the "skill or grace" enjoyed on the blue terrain

As I listened to the podcast, it struck me that Ski Tips from the Devil would fit well in the realm of the ski & ride instructor. So often, well meaning friends give advice of which they know very little. Specifically, how to ski well. Usually these ski tips get passed down from person to person with their own little spin.

Prior to writing, I decided I should do some leg work and research the subject. Where to go to find those knowledgeable about the subject at 5:30pm? A local ski/ride instructor watering hole Quandary Grille in Breckenridge!

There were quite a few "devils" willing to share their stories. It was fun to knock one back and talk about a few war stories on the hill.

When reading over these, realize in many cases they are band-aids to a real underlying skill deficiency in one's skiing. In the case of equipment choices or off snow choices it is just listening what others have told them. Ignorance in it's most innocent sense.

Here are a few of our choice tips (6+6+6=18)

1) Push your shins into the front of the boot, and edge more to slow down

2) Just "duck the rope". The snow is better on the other side.

3) Turn your head and/or shoulders in the direction you want to go

4) Always lean back in powder, and lean forward when you ski

5) Use your poles to push away from the lift

6) Wear two pairs of socks to keep your feet warmer, and stuff your jeans into your boots

7) Place the metal snap on your snow cuff between your boot and shin as a positive reinforcement device.

8) Use the "Texas Tuck" to help you go faster across the flats

9) Impress your friends with jump tricks whenever possible

10) The "Texas Suitcase" or the "Houston Handbag" are the best methods to walk around with your skis and poles

11) Turn with your knees, and keep your feet close by attaching the boot's velcro straps together.

12) Let your friends "teach" you how to ski, and teach spouses and significant others whenever possible.

13) Once you "learn" how to turn and stop, you are ready to go to the top!

14) If one beer at lunch makes you ski better, two will make you ski GREAT!

15) Your instructor doesn't want a tip. "Cheers!" is reward enough

16) 1990's (faded) Neon will make you more attractive to the opposite sex.

17) Surprise your fellow chairlift riders by immediately pulling down the safety bar as the chair leaves the station.

18) If your legs are tired at the end of the day, lean against the rear boot cuff and take an extra run.

Are ski lifts dangerous for kids?

Recreation » Two recent falls prod safety reminders.

By Ben Fulton

The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 01/03/2010 08:51:43 PM MST

Little Cottonwood Canyon » Greg Holmes, a Phoenix business owner on ski vacation in Utah with his family, said he remembers first using chairlifts when he skied as a boy.

In those days, few resort chairlifts came with restraint bars.

Now that he's a parent, and now that most ski runs offer them, Holmes said he makes a point of using the restraint for his son.

Standing at the base of Snowbird Ski & Summer resort's "Mid-Gad" lift while his 5-year-old son Dylan fidgets, Holmes said he would have no qualms about taking his son on a chairlift without a restraint bar. As long as he kept one eye extra on his son.

"The trick is always making certain you know what your child is up to," Holmes said. "Most of the time he sits pretty still. He knows he's up high."

As in 30 to 40 feet, the distance most resorts and ski areas put between their patrons and the ground below.

That was the distance a 4-year-old girl fell while riding the Sunnyside chairlift Dec. 19 at Alta Ski Area, according to Unified Fire Authority Capt. Clint Smith. The girl was face down in the snow and not breathing after the fall. She was revived by CPR and flown to Primary Children's Medical Center, and suffered a minor concussion. She was released the day after she fell, authorities said.

Twelve days later, at Snow King Resort in Jackson, Wyo., a 7-year-old boy fell 30 feet. He suffered a

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minor head injury and ruptured lung, according to The Associated Press . The boy was taken to a Salt Lake City hospital were his condition was declared stable.

Falls by two children in such close succession may lead some to question safety protocol at ski resorts, and if children are being short-changed. Industry groups and at least one long-time veteran of lift-operations management insist, however, that resorts do all they can to ensure the safety of children who ski their slopes.

Tom Patton, lift operations manager for Snowbird, said that during his 30 years in the business of overseeing lifts for five resorts and ski areas he has only known of two incidents among perhaps 20 million lift rides in which people of any age have fallen from their lift chairs. Last month's falls, Patton said, represent "an extreme anomaly."

"In all honesty, transportation by aerial cable ways is one of the safest modes of transportation there is," he said.

On its Web site, nsaa.org, the National Ski Areas Association notes that less than 10 percent of all fatal skiing injuries befall skiers and snowboarders "under 10 or over 50 years of age." The majority of fatalities in skiing fall roughly in line with the same population of people who die or suffer injuries in other high-risk ski behaviors, typically men in their late teens on up to their early 30s.

As frequent visitors to Utah resorts and ski areas know, warnings and other postings dot trails and the inside of lodges. Industrywide recommendations for responsible behavior admonishes skiers and snowboarders to stay in control, among other tips. Specific to chairlifts, skiers are given posted warnings on lift polls to never swing or sway the chair, and check for any clothing or equipment that may have become attached to the chair before getting off the lift.

"We have no way of monitoring what patrons do when they leave the lift station," Patton said. "All we can do is advise our patrons on safety measures."

The age at which a child may ski a resort or area is often left to parental discretion, but many resorts set the age-limit for lessons at age 3, as is the practice at Snowbasin resort, said Jodi Holmgren, director of marketing and public relations.

"Abilities just vary so much," Holmgren said. "You could have a 24-year-old adult that may not be as agile as a 3-year-old in terms of loading the lift."

Holmgren said Snowbasin has upgraded two of its lifts from a "fixed grip chair" to "detachable grip lifts." The detachable lifts allow for more speed up the hill, yet slower loading and unloading times for enhanced safety.

All of Snowbasin's chair-lifts feature restraint bars, said Holmgren. Patton said all of Snowbird's chairlifts feature them as well.

Even so, Patton said, studies have failed to show that using restraints reduces the number of people who may fall out of a chair. Only New York and Vermont require patrons to use restraint bars. Every other state, including Utah, operates on the volunteer system.

Alta Ski Area does not have restraint bars on any of its lifts. Dustin Thompson, a Salt Lake City Internet developer skiing the resort with his 4- and 6-year-old sons Saturday, said Alta's chairlifts don't bother him one bit.

"I'm their restraint monitor," Thompson said. "They know the rules: Sit all the way back, no dangling, no leaning forward and if a ski falls off your foot, let it fall off."

bfulton@sltrib.com