A couple weeks back we mentioned collector Dennis Nazari and his Vintage Snowboard Museum at Salty Peaks in Salt Lake City, when he was featured in this episode of Tailgate Alaska.
But I also wanted to take a moment and give props to Brian Dunlap and Ricky Melnick who have a solid collection of their own going over at DVS. It’s not quite as robust as Nazari’s, who claims to have the “world’s largest collection of vintage snowboards,” but what they do have that Salty Peaks doesn’t is a very cool online gallery…Â DetailsÂ
Taranaki’s humble Manganui skifield is the first in the country to open for the season.
Yesterday Mt Taranaki’s skifield opened thanks to a 25cm dumping of snow the previous day.
Other skifields around the country in both the north and south are still almost a month behind, with most opening in mid to late June.
Manganui ski field operators had initially hoped to open today, but got in a day early after the weather cleared up.
Stratford Mountain Club member Jack Cran said the field was opened about 11am.
“It was lovely, the wind turned south-west and it cleared,” Mr Cran said.
About 50 people took the opportunity to get a taste of the fresh powder…Â Details
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Nothing quickens the pulse quite like the whoomp-whoomp of a helicopter approaching a high altitude snowfield.
When it’s a six-seater Bell 407 dropping in to scoop up you and your adrenaline-high mates for another ski run down almost 1,000 vertical metres of featherlight powder snow, the sensation is scarily exciting and (the Aussie said it) positively pre-orgasmic.
We huddle on the snow while the pilot parks his bird as close as a kerbside taxi, and pile aboard in the manner prescribed -Â head down to avoid decapitation, backside first, calm and orderly. It’s all we can do to stop giggling.
Airborne again, we can take in the …Â Details
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