Squaw Storm Skiing - Huge Front Flip from UnofficialSquaw on Vimeo.

With the season right around the corner it is hard to keep your mind off of the return of deep Squaw Valley powder days. Here is a unofficial clip from last season that is sure to keep you awake at night.

ATTENTION ALL SNOW HUMANS!

by Miles Clark
 

Avalanche Education:  the ISSW comes to Squaw Valley

October 17th - October 22nd, 2010.  Resort at Squaw Creek, Squaw Valley, California.

Website:  www.issw2010.com   Schedule:  http://issw2010.com/ISSW2010_Schedule.pdf 
 
 
TAHOE SNOW HUMANS!  In Tahoe, there is no longer any excuse to not get some avy education.  A plethora of classes and workshops are offered all over the Tahoe Basin every winter.  And now….

The INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM of SNOW SCIENCE (ISSW) is headed to Squaw Valley (Yeah, it’s pretty bad ass!)
"I think it is an honor to be hosting so many "Rockstars" of the avalanche world here in Lake Tahoe. Its an amazing opportunity for our local ski tribe to have access to these folks and to be able to attend this International conference right in our back yard!"   Lel Tone (Alaska Heli ski guide, Squaw Valley ski patroller, and Squaw Valley assistant avalanche forecaster)

This should be a  no-brainer for local skiers and riders.  At this conference we’ll get the chance to wrap our minds around the most cutting edge avalanche information available as told by the world‘s best.  This conference is held in a different part of the world every 2 years.  We are extremely lucky they have chosen Lake Tahoe this year and we need to take advantage it.  

This conference will be covering everything you can possible imagine pertaining to avalanches and how they affect us and our industry.  

Get online and register for this one people.  www.issw2010.com.  The dates are Oct. 18th - 22nd, 2010, but you can simply register for just the days you can make it, or just for the days that interest you most.     
 
From Squaw’s press release:

By Seth Lightcap

Like a wad of cash without a wallet, peel off a couple minutes and check out MONEY LINE$, a new video series highlighting wicked and stylish action sports exploits.

To pop the cork on this new series I took North Tahoe ripper Greg Clark out to a steep sea of Cali granite for some legit MTB freeriding. Clark slayed the zone sending butter smooth lines through the bullet-hard waves.

Watch out for future volumes of MONEY LINE$ dropping every few weeks throughout the Fall and Winter.

Here is the Farmers Almanac prediction for the 2011 Winter.

"For the coming year, the Farmers’ Almanac predicts that Old Man Winter will exhibit a “split personality.” The eastern third of the country, (New England down to Florida and as far west as the lower Ohio River and Mississippi River Valley), will experience colder-than-normal winter temperatures. Across New England, where relatively balmy temperatures prevailed during the winter of 2009–2010, the upcoming winter will be the equivalent of a cold slap in the face, as we forecast much colder-than-normal temperatures." farmersalmanac.com

By Seth Lightcap

Tis the season once again!....Y'all ready to welcome back winter at a few ski/shred movie premiere parties?

As usual, we've got showings of all the biggest and baddest flicks coming to the local area including the highly anticipated world premiere of Jeremy Jones' signature backcountry snowboarding film - DEEPER. Here's the 411:

TGR's DEEPER - WORLD PREMIERE

Friday, September 10th - Truckee River Amphitheatre - Truckee, CA

Tickets - $15 at door, Children under 8 free with paying adult, Entry includes 2-for-1 voucher to Alpine Meadows.

Expo - 6-8 pm. Show at 8 pm. After Party at 50-50 Brewery.

Additional DEEPER tour dates:

SF - Independent - September 13

Reno - JA Nugget - October 5

Sacramento - Tower Theatre - October 7

More info: http://www.tetongravity.com/deeper/

Hit the jump to see info and tour dates for Standard Films, Volcom, Absinthe Films, Matchstick and TGR!

South America Part 1

By, Jaclyn Paaso

I arrived in Santiago, Chile about two weeks ago for the first stop of the Freeskiing World Tour. I booked my ticket on a Thursday and flew out the next Monday. It was a last minute trip, but totally worth it.

Flying out from Reno and just happened to run into the majority of the MSI crew in Salt Lake City. It was a great surprise since I had no idea what I was going to do when I got to Santiago. My destination was El Colorado, Chile a 39km ride from the Santiago airport which goes up one of the scariest switch-backed roads I’ve ever traveled on! It was 8AM in Santiago when myself, the MSI crew and a few other athletes conjoined for our travel up to El Colorado, after 22 hours of traveling.

Andy Wirth’s Brave New World

By Robert Frohlich

Like many ski resort operators, each fall morning Andy Wirth emerges into the open air of the resort to stick his ski pole into what amounts of moisture, if any, lay about, prodding the ground like a baker sticking a toothpick into a cake to see if it’s ready.

Sierra Nevada weather, if only early fall, is always cause for concern, but ski-resort operators are eternal optimists. Andy Wirth, newly appointed president of Squaw Valley Ski Corp., is no different.

This is Kong-sized news for Squaw Valley’s Homeric history. It’s the first time the resort’s 61-year history that it has not been under the direct leadership of the Cushing family. Wirth, a well-regarded, 46-year-old ski industry executive from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, follows Nancy Cushing, who retires after 16 years as president and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Corp. Her husband, founder Alex Cushing, died in 2006 at age 92.

Long-time Tahoe journalist Robert Frohlich recently sat down with Wirth to discuss Squaw’s shortcomings and the changes that might be on tap for Tahoe’s most famous of ski resorts.

FROHLICH: Squaw Valley has the most loyal season pass holders, customers and employees in the country. They are each asking the same question – Who is driving this buggy? Who is in charge?

WIRTH: (Laughing) It’s safe to say it’s me. I wouldn’t have taken this position without complete and 100% unanimous support of the Squaw Valley Board of Directors. Nancy Cushing remains as chairman of the Board, but I’m running the show. I want to add that Nancy has been very generous and professional in handing over the reins. I answer to the Board, which is our Executive Team. Squaw Valley’s success will be determined on the success of our team to maintain a professional, accountable, responsible and dedicated effort to Squaw Valley’s future.

FRO: But Squaw Valley has always been run by an oligarchy, an authoritative, all powerful, supreme administration that micro managed its departments and dictated all final decisions.

READ FULL POST

Freeride World Tour Tram Face 2010 from UnofficialSquaw on Vimeo.

Here are some of the highlights from the Freeride World Tour stop in Squaw Valley USA.

World Freeride Tour Highlights from UnofficialSquaw on Vimeo.

Unofficial Video Guy Jeff Wright has been following around JT Holmes and Timy Dutton as they compete on the World Freeride Tour. Here is a look at some of the action he has captured from the first two events.

This is footage from the last two days of skiing at Squaw Valley.  The big storm allowed Squaw Valley locals to send it big and have fun getting face shots.  Hopefully it's not over yet!  Enjoy.

Revelstoke Comp Highlights video from UnofficialSquaw on Vimeo.

Take a look at our footage from Day 1 and Day 2 of the Canadian Freeskiing Championships up in Revelstoke, BC Canada from this past weekend.  It was a great weekend for us as we got to document Blaster Arne Backstrom win big and take home the Sick Bird Award.  All the competitors went large and skied very impressively.  Big thanks to Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Mountain Sports International and everyone else that made the comp fun and successful.

Silver Peak is one of the peaks across the valley from KT-22 and Red Dog, which makes it a perfect destination for an afternoon tour after getting loads of vert in on KT in the morning. This is exactly what I did yesterday. I met up with J. Jones and his friend Travis a bit after lunch time, and we began skinning out of the OVI parking lot.

Alaska In December. from UnofficialSquaw on Vimeo.

turn on HD and watch it in full screen!

A few weeks back the Unofficial Crew headed up to Juneau, Alaska with Kevin Quinn and Jason Mack of Points North Heli. The whole trip worked out really well skiing and filming wise. Here is a look at some of the action.

Riders: Timmy Dutton, John Lange, Mattias Sullivan, Ralph Backstrom and Arne Backstrom

Flimers: Nik Sullivan, Greg Martin and Tim Konrad

Guides: Kevin Quinn and Jason Mack

Trestle Peak Pillows from Adam Ruscitto on Vimeo.

Here is some really great skiing up on the trestle in Tahoe. Squaw locals, Jon Rockwood and Adam Ruscitto slaying pillow lines. Very cool!!!!! Wish I was there to film it. Nice Work Guys!

Sunrise Powder! from Adam Ruscitto on Vimeo.

So, Rockwood and I (Adam Ruscitto) got out for a few sunrise missions this week and lucked out skiing some really good snow, and seeing spectacular sunrises. It was really fucking cold though! Anyhow, we shot some video, and I had the helmet cam on for all the runs. We put together a short clip of the adventure. Nothing special, but a few good early season Tahoe Pow shots. We are by no means cinematographers, but we'll get better.