In April, we caught up with Navy SEAL Joshua Jespersen to talk about Mission Memorial Day (MMD), is his initiative to bring meaning back to the holiday through an annual trip to Denali. There he and his team travel with flags adorned with the names of fallen soldiers to commemorate their service and bravery.
Austral Aspirations: SheJumps Executive Director Claire Smallwood talks about summers spent in the Southern Hemisphere
It is mid-June, and many backcountry ski enthusiasts have turned their energy to their favorite dirt and water outdoor pursuits. But while the sun may be blazing here in North America, the snow is just starting to fly south of the Equator, and for a lucky few, a trip to the Southern Hemisphere keeps the snow train chugging along.
Gone Tomorrow: Eliel Hindert captures the space-scapes of Southern Utah on film
Eliel Hindert, 27, is a sponsored Patagonia freeski athlete who has traveled the world skiing big lines, but he is no one-trick pony. He is also enamored with being behind the camera, looking to capture far-off locations and unique landscapes.
Building Blocks: VT Tech gets students excited about applied sciences through ski and snowboard building
Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center, Vt. may sit among farm fields, but it is a hub of learning for students looking to gain skills in the applied sciences such as Mechanical Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Business Technology and Management. Recently VT Tech acquired a ski and snowboard press and is incorporating ski and snowboard building into the applied learning process for students interested in engineering, along with members of the campus Ski and Snowboard Club.
Back on Course: Despite a funding hurdle, Vermont’s Mount Ascutney is successfully conserved
In May 2015, we covered the resurrection of Vermont’s Mount Ascutney Resort, which had previously closed in 2010, in “Ascutney Ascension.” The article touches on efforts of the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the local Brownsville and West Windsor Communities to breathe life back into a much beloved, defunct community ski area.
Unpaving the way: the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance makes headway in their first season
It has now been a full winter season since we spoke with Rich Meyer about the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, so we caught up with him to find out how projects have progressed over the past few months and what the TBA has planned for the summer.
Take two: Why it’s nice to attend the SheJumps Alpine Finishing School twice
In the spring of 2014, Abby Cooper attended her first SheJumps Alpine Finishing School (AFS) in hopes of becoming more educated about backcountry travel. The weeklong, all-female program, which is designed to be an advanced stepping-stone into ski mountaineering, also meets the SheJumps mission to increase participation of women and girls in outdoor activities. There, women work directly with IFMGA Guide Diny Harrison and ACMG Guide Kate Devine, who annually instruct courses covering subjects ranging from route finding and rope work to general avalanche safety at the Selkirk Lodge outside of Revelstoke, B.C.
Learning Acceptance: Athlete Holly Walker talks big routes in the Alps and the importance of early start times
Ski mountaineer and freeride athlete Holly Walker is no stranger to erratic weather. Walker spends most of her time between Seattle and Whistler, where the dual citizen contends with typical Pacific Northwest weather—rain turning to snow and back to rain. And last year on a trip to the French Alps, Walker got a more intimate understanding of just how unpredictable mountain weather patterns and avalanche danger can be.
Beyond the Course: Foundation formed to support USSA athletes with safety education
On May 9, 2016, USSA announced that in honor of Astle and Berlack, they have formed the Bryce and Ronnie Athlete Safety and Security Foundation (BRASS), whose mission is to increase awareness, promote training and education and advance investments regarding athlete safety and security.
Finding the Line: New Bjarne Salen film to follow sister skiers in their pursuit to understand what it means to be afraid
Filmmaker Bjarne Salen, producer of the acclaimed 2015 film Eclipse, has recently announced that he will be producing a ski documentary to be released fall 2017 called Finding the Line in which he will follow two sisters and ski athletes Nat and Anna Segal in their search to understand fear. The Segal sisters will use snowy mountains and big lines as backdrops to explore the subject of fear and how it affects them in their pursuit of professional skiing.
