Will Bateman is one of the few riders I know who would rather shoot a photo then shoot a video. This photo was taken on Superbowl Sunday at the bottom of a neighborhood. Will and myself were the only people present which made for an enjoyable time. The run in was a slight issue as we had to lay down a snow path across a parking lot. After some mishaps and a few random people asking what we were up to, we had the shot and headed home.
Shreddy Times is a crew ran by Conor Toumarkine out of Lake Tahoe, CA. Conor is shooting some of Tahoe’s biggest up and coming riders and producing great web edits. This year I met up with Conor and his crew through Sam Hulbert for a backcountry session deep in the wilderness of Tahoe. Conor brought along Moss Hallady who landed this fine Back 10 Double Cork. Take a minute and check out the rest of the videos on his site www.shreddytimes.com
-Billy Keil AKA Bobby AKA Bobby Big Hands with a most proper backside tailslide
Every year I like to make it up to Big Boulder Ski Resort in Blakeslee Pennsylvania to shoot their park for the various magazine’s resort guide issues. Big Boulder is host to a park that has been in the Transworld Top 5 East Coast Park for the last 3+ years.
-Matt Bothfeld
Always down to get the best photography Big Boulder set me up with a closed park and access to it’s team of riders. It’s always a great time hanging out with some of my PA buddies and shooting photos. We has a session on their three jump line for most of the day before moving down to the plaza to shoot the rails. Dom Luza started off the rail riding with a quick switch backside boardslide on the DFD.
-Dom Luza switch backside boardslide
The day ended with a long session in the plaza on the down barrel rail. Trip Brown and Matt Roberge were there with video cameras so Bobby, Kyle, and Dom laid on the big business. After about 100 different tricks were done, everyone called it quits and headed into town for a bit of pizza before going our separate ways.
-Kyle Luza switch nosepress late at night
For the trip we were about to take on day 2, we sure did not wake up early enough. Mike, Justin and myself were late to bed seeing the night before was New Years and consequently we were late to rise. Once we did get ourselves up, it was for a quick breakfast before we piled into the jeep and hit the icy road. The destination of our drive I am still not allowed to speak of, but it is a local spot that has graced the cover of Easter Edge.
-Justin in the morning
We were hiking in from a new location that Pat said would shave about an hour off the hike and avoid the mean attack of a junkyard dog. The snow was about a foot deep and the hike was long but after two and half hours we arrived at the summit. I dug a quick pit to test the stability of the snow while Mike cut off some of the cornice and sent large amount of sluff down the slope. Last time I was here we had an avalanche so we played it on the safe side and avoided our original slope for one with a more mellow angle.
See you at the bottom
Pat went first, but we each took a ride down to the bottom. It was a steep and fun ride. Once at the bottom I set up my camera while the guys took a hike back to the top. This was Mikes first time riding deep powder and he did very well. Hooked on the pow, he hiked more then anyone and bagged a bunch of shots. Unfortunately our late morning was catching up to us as bad weather and the evening started approaching. We knew it was a long hike out so we ended the session early and started out. Arriving at the jeep in total darkness we each shared a beer and headed back to Pat’s house.
-Mikey B Natural Pow Rider
I had secured us passes to Stowe Mountain Resort and we spent the next two whole days riding on and off the resort on the Mount Mansfeild side. With lift access and fresh powder up to waist deep in some spots, these two days were probably the highlight of the trip. Pat’s guiding knowledge really shines at Stowe and he lead us to all the goods. Each line was untracked and he knew where all the cliffs, drops, gaps, and exits were.
-Mike Bennett in the Stowe Gondola
Eager to get some lines for myself and seeing I was at my favorite mountain on the east I road the whole first day without a camera. The second day we got to work and everyone snagged good photos on each run.
-Justin Mullen blast off a cliff in a cloud of powder
-Pat Walsh demonstrates how it’s done
-Justin leans back into a heel side
Justin, Mike, and myself were sad to leave but Mike had to get back to work and Justin and myself had to get ready for Tahoe. Stowe will always remain as one of my favorite mountain in the east coast. If you have the chance to go there you should take advantage of it. With early seasons that always have the pow its a great place to visit over that christmas break/new years break. A huge thanks to Pat. Without him this trip would not have been possible. Leave me a message if you would like to get Pat’s email for guiding trips with your own group.
L-R Pat Walsh, Justin Mullen, Mike Bennett
Don’t forget part one.
http://www.benbirk.com/blog/2010/07/09/winter-in-summer-stowe-vt/.
Justin recorded video and made an edit from the trip.
http://www.benbirk.com/blog/2010/01/05/stowe-vermont/
Stef Zeestraten took full advantage of this large drop with a smooth and calculated half cab. Now the image resides in the new New Zealand Snowboarder. You can read the issue here http://www.nzsnowboarder.co.nz/home/. This is my first image in this publication so a BIG Thank You to Stef, Phil Erickson, and New Zealand Snowboarder Magazine.
Check out a larger copy of the image and see the camera settings on flickr.
I spent most of my free time at the Tahoe Donnor house that was occupied by a group of guys from PA who went to the local college in Truckee. This video features a mini interview with 2010 Trans Am winner Dom Luza, along with some backyard snowboarding, and jokes.
NSFW
Since I am not able to keep up with my blog very well during the winter months I though it would be fun to share my photography from my winter during the summer.
October 18, 2009
We had heard it snowed in the Poconos a foot two days earlier and seeing that it was October any excuse to try and snowboard was good enough. Mike Bennett, Doug Usko, and myself loaded up my Subaru forester and made the two hour drive to Camelback. Unfortunately upon our arrival we discover almost all the snow was gone with small patches of unrideable snow being all that remained. Not wanting to make the drive home quite yet we, went to Big Boulder to meet up with Matt Roberge, Luke Henning, and Jayell White.
Big Boulder had a little bit more snow at best, but we decided to hike to the top of the mountain (all 500 vertical feet of it) to see what snow might lie up there. Over halfway up we realized the top would hold nothing more then the bottom and decided to shovel a small landing for a sketchy bomb drop. Mike and Doug both hit the drop, were smashed to bits on the too small landing and over the feature quickly. We hung out talking and laughing for a while before returning to the cars, where we parted ways and all drove home.
Winter was coming soon though…
The Group Hiking
Mike Bennett mid hike
Jayell White
Luke Henning
Mike Bennett Bomb Drop
Mike Bennett (Film)
Doug Usko (Film)
Jayell White (Film)
Matt Roberge (Film)
Jon Nelson
My roommates and I filmed this earlier in the year. Edited by Eric Ryan.