Tuesday, February 22

All is Normal

By Aaron Martin

What happened this last week? Well, my first thought would be to say not muchpossibly nothing at all. Unfortunately I don't have any epic tales of bottomless face shot pow or radical descents in some exotic part of the world for you.

It has been, fairly normal around here. It is difficult for me to write about skiing when nothing notable has transpired, but as I type away at the keys, I suddenly feel like smashing my head into the wall. Nothing notable? How the hell can I just write this week with an attitude like that? How dare I forget to acknowledge the every day things? Around here, normal is damn good and I should be stoked by this privileged. Skiing should always be cherished. Skiing in the rain, on glare ice, in the slop, on the rocks, or on the flats. IT'S STILL SKIING. THAT IS ALL WE NEED!

Ten (or maybe 13) damn good things I almost forgot to look at :

The first turns on old super-g's (say "s-k-i-n-n-y-s") in a year:
Most of us by now have basically subscribed to the WAY FAT ski theory. Yes, there is nothing like descending through the steep-deeps with new-school FAT artillery. But like I just said, "there was no steep or deep for me this week". So, I decided to mix it up yesterday. I wiped the dust off of a sick pair of LONG skis that are so skinny that they look weird and scary under my feet. Two runs later, I was blown away. I completely forgot the power of those guns. Fifty years of race technology still ain't wrong when it comes to the hard-pack. Cheers to the perfect arc of a 212 super-g at 70 miles per hour. WOW.

Steve the patroller that let me in to the deep zone early:
Showing a bit of respect for the man, his job, and his bombs, can sometimes result in him looking the other way as you drop into the steep north facing powder shot that has yet to open. Thanks brother, you made my day.

The school of "top to bottom, non-stoppers":
It takes a while to have the guns to turn top to bottom non-stop all day. When the quads can finally deal with that, you know the season is well underway. The non-stop is what it's all about. It separates the real men and women from the rookies and the posers. The mountain is the one proving ground that cuts through all the talk, the sponsors, and the attitudes. Hats off to the kids that do it in one fluid motion all the way to the cat track.

Kevin and crew from Points North Heli-Ski saving a life in Cordova, Alaska:
Cordova, Alaska has had huge snow fall this year. It makes for incredible skiing high in the mountains. Unfortunately, this last week it made for bad avalanche conditions just above town. A huge avalanche came down and ruthlessly took out at least three houses. After digging past exhaustion, my friend Kevin found a man buried fifteen feet under the snow. He had been buried for five and one-half hours. Today he is alive. YEAH!

The 75 year old local I met on the chair in a storm:
Oh God, I hope like nothing else that I can kill it like this guy can when I am his age. To see someone that has been skiing for seventy years and is still fired-up about making turns, even in a storm as heinous as this one, is truly a gift.

The hot springs of the Southern Sierra under the moon:
Go soak in one of the hundreds of natural hot zones in the Southern Sierras after a huge day of skiing. Just go. We had many turns at Mammoth, good beer, and a beautiful moon to top off a killer day.

Ultra Nectar hospitality at Outdoor Retailer:
Some of the best people in the industry are always laughing, always loving their sports and their lives. We raged until the wee hours with the whole crew in downtown Utah at the Dead Goat and then grabbed a floor space from them to dodge the 200 bucks a night hotel factor. Killer duds too. Check them out www.ultranectar.com.

The working boys at the Squaw Valley Sport Shop:
In a nut shell, sometimes you are damn lucky to know the right people with the right attitudes and the right perspectives. My hat is off to the kids that keep my gear going, get me on the hill, give me rides home, and keep me laughing 24-7.

Ryan Boyer the soul tele man in Mammoth:
Not only did he give us a place to stay, he rips harder than you can believe, loves his life and does not look twice at the duct tape on his pants. Haven't heard of him? Well, that's because he spends his time skiing rather than talking.

The new headwall lift at Squaw Valley:
Nothing wrong with a brand new fast and cushy ride to the top. Yeah, it might get tracked faster now, but if you are one of the first.

Twelve year olds going off in the parks:
Youth rules. The talent of the little dudes these days is awesome. Every year the tricks get harder and harder and the kids charge on.

"Weather" or not:
I woke up to a horrible day at the lake. So, we drove to the hill through the drizzle with the lights on, and I thought the day was shot and contemplated work instead of turns. As we pulled into the valley, we suddenly broke through the clouds and into the sunshine. At the top of the mountain we were above the haze. At ten in the morning, we were skiing in T-shirts in the middle of winter. You never know what the day will bring.

Watching my girl friend rule down the hill:
There is nothing quite like knowing your woman can arc with the best of them. Nuff said.

So much for a normal week. What lucky dogs we are. Till next,

BIG-A.