Forget technique. The thing that holds most Brits back when they hit the mountains in winter is fitness. After all, a life of texting, typing and the occasional trip to the supermarket is hardly adequate preparation for a week of relentless physical activity in an oxygen-depleted environment.
Add a little vin chaud into the equation and it’s no wonder we’re wrecks by the middle of our holiday.
In a perfect world, we’d remedy this situation by undertaking a carefully structured ski-fitness course… More info
The roads get icy. Snow piles up by the inch. And temperatures dance around the freezing mark. It’s winter in Michigan, and these conditions are to be expected.
But while drivers, shovelers and anyone without a sweater may gripe, skiers and snowboarders are delighted.
Snow skiing accounts for nearly 10% of total leisure spending in Michigan, said Claire Bunker of Travel Michigan. In 2007 alone, the ski industry in Michigan brought in $94 million in revenues…Â More info
Last night in New York City, 16 illustrious snowboarders from around the globe converged at the East River Park to fight for their share of the $100,000 Red Bull Snowscrapers prize purse. The riders dropped in from a towering nine-story structure that mirrored the dramatic New York skyline. In front of 20,000 fans, athletes such as Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and X Games Champion Travis Rice soared above the cityscape off a specially constructed ramp towards an immense 80-foot long landing area.
NEW JERSEY LOCAL TAKES FIRST AND $50K
New Jersey’s own Shayne Pospisil, who started the contest as an alternate after another competitor was unable to compete due to injury, ended up grabbing first place and $50,000 by landing a backside 900 with a clean grab. “It all came together tonight. I landed all my runs,” said Pospisil after being carried away on the shoulders of the crowd. “Having all of my friends and family here is amazing. It’s a dream come true.” Finland’s Torstein Horgmo stuck a frontside …Â More info
Right, I think. I don’t have to land this jump perfectly. I just have to turn it around, in order to honour its name, the backside 180.
“You have to plan for progression, not for results,†Lesley McKenna, ace British snowboarder, tells me, standing patiently at my side. It is the end of a long afternoon’s training, and the alpenglow lights up her face, reflecting the fire in her eyes.
I set up for what is possibly the smallest kicker on the mountain. Laax, Switzerland, is known for consistently creating the best terrain parks for snowboarders and freestyle skiers in Europe… More info