New York Times: Snow Fall

Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek 

You probably read with horror about the avalanche that killed 3 out of 13 skiers near Steven’s Pass in Washington last year. The New York Times’s, John Branch, writes a complete account of the tragic incident through the eyes of those involved and loved ones left behind. It is beautifully pieced together, though the question looms-is it worth it? Whether you ski in the backcountry, have friends who do, or want to learn something about a very real event that affected many throughout the ski industry, please take a look.

Moving to a ski town from a world where backcountry skiing did not exist, the fear of avalanches is very new to me. I recently took an introductory class through SheJumps with Kelli Rohrig of White Room Adventures, which gave me a day’s worth of overview information. I learned the very basics of snow science, different causes of avalanches, different snow types, basic terminology, and the most efficient ways to use my gear. It was eye-opening and it scared me to death. Avalanches are a very real threat to those of us who venture out into the mountains that surround us, whether it is alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, or even snow-shoeing. No matter how great of a skier you are at the resort, take the time to learn about the terrain around you, your equipment, and what to do when the shit hits the fan. Knowledge, not ski ability, will save your own and your partners’ lives.

Female Wolf Pack is Full of Killer Babes

Killer Babes.

The Female Wolf Pack, releasing it’s teaser video on Vimeo, just yesterday, has made a splash with ladies and men across the online social world. With strong and widely known athletes such as Michelle Parker and Suz Graham, it’s purpose is “to increase female visibility in action sports.” The teaser itself shows nothing but badass women ripping on skis and surf boards, floating on water and in the air, climbing up mountains with their hands and their bikes. Awesome women doing awesome things.

Girls. Girls. Girls.

Rachel Burks, a big mountain skier based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, founded the Female Wolf Pack as a way to showcase what women can do in the world of action sports. On the website, which is still just a preview site until the 1/1/13 premiere, Rachel says, “I look at the things that I’ve done over the past six years and feel boundlessly lucky and stoked to be where I am. This is a feeling I’d love to share with other girls. I want to open doors for those who have the same thirst that I do: the thirst to show others what girls are capable of.” Basically, she wants women of all ages, of all corners of the action-sports world, to have a chance to showcase their talent, their drive, and their fearlessness to a wide-range of viewers. She goes on to say that she wants “… FemaleWolfpack.com to extend to all those who want to melt some faces off and hopefully inspire and foster the next generation of rippers.”

Women. Women.

There are 3 rules to this video-content-only website.

1. Fun. 2. “No Excuses, Play Like a Champion.” 3. No Nudity.

So ladies, if you wish to show off  your talent on this new female-only sports venue, enjoy yourself while being safe, stay positive by believing in yourself, and stay classy- bring on the sexy by kicking ass, not showing yours.

This article can also be found on Westelkproject.com.

Michelle Parker Joins Contour

I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Parker at the World Premier of MSP’s Superheroes of Stoke in Seattle this year. She is tiny, sweet and totally rad. To welcome her to the team, Contour used some of Match Stick Production‘s footage from Whistler, BC along with her own footage taken with her cam caddy.

Charging hard and picking incredible lines, Michelle earns every bit of credit she gets. I’m personally excited to see more of her own footage on the snow!