With Covid-19 still spreading across the globe, the only answer to the question, “What happens next?” seems to be “Who knows?” Ski resorts are just one example of a disrupted industry, and while a season with minimal chairlift use might be standard operating procedures for some, a human-powered winter is a brave new world for […]
Four fatalities recorded in single weekend, amid “especially dangerous” avalanche conditions
The U.S. recorded its first four avalanche fatalities of the 2020/21 season over the weekend, amid what the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is calling “especially dangerous” avalanche conditions. On Friday, a snowmobiler in Wyoming’s Sheep Pass area perished in a soft slab; also on Friday, a “legendary ski patroller” died west of Crested Butte, […]
Alone in the Andes
Gliding along the crest of the ridge in the bright spring sun, Jorge Kozulj and his partner look down at Argentina’s Bariloche lake district. They are alone in the Andes. Instead of managing the needs of a diverse clientele from across the globe, Kozulj, an IFMGA guide, has been free to explore his backyard for […]
The Death Couloir: The evolution of a forbidden fruit in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Around midnight, I pull into my parking lot bivy for the evening. The trees gently sway back and forth, and the sky is eerily dark. Winds are forecasted to dissipate by sunrise, but intermittent gusts say otherwise. Nervous excitement is typical before a big day on a new line, yet for some reason I can’t […]
Convergent Tracks: The Chameleon
Jibbing was hot as hellfire when Eric Blehm became editor of Transworld Snowboarding in 1995. Most snowboard media focused heavily on freestyle, but Blehm was more fascinated by the Nitro Tour than the glut of twins that graced the 501 pages of the magazine’s 1995 gear guide. Blehm’s tenure at Transworld stretched through 1998, a […]
2021 Testers’ Choice: Jed Doane’s Favorite Boards and Boots
This year at Powder Mountain, Utah, our testers gathered for the 2021 Gear Test Week to review 121 products just before Covid-19 sent us into lockdown. Now, we’re debuting the skis, boards, boots, bindings and apparel that you need to go remote—in the backcountry, that is. At the end of the week, we asked each […]
Mountain Skills: Streamline the Ride
The word efficiency gets used excessively these days. Everything has to be more efficient: cars, computers, factories and, yes, even splitboarders. Over the past several years, splitboard technology has improved exponentially, leaving the door wide open for resort-based snowboarders to access the mountains like never before. Boards are lighter, more durable and more functional, and […]
Mountain Skills: Managing Risk and Responsibility
On February 28, 2014, a Missoula, Mont. snowboarder launched into the Mt. Jumbo backcountry ready to carve perfect turns. Farthest from his mind was triggering a massive avalanche that would decimate two houses, bury three people and kill one. It’s a dramatic example of how someone’s actions in the backcountry can affect others.
Testers’ Choice: Theresa Clinton’s Favorite Boards
This year at Powder Mountain, Utah, our testers gathered for the 2021 Gear Test Week to review 121 products just before Covid-19 sent us into lockdown. Now, we’re debuting the skis, boards, boots, bindings and apparel that you need to go remote—in the backcountry, that is. At the end of the week, we asked each […]
2021 Testers’ Choice: Emily Boyden’s Favorite Skis and Boots
This year at Powder Mountain, Utah, our testers gathered for the 2021 Gear Test Week to review 121 products just before Covid-19 sent us into lockdown. Now, we’re debuting the skis, boards, boots, bindings and apparel that you need to go remote—in the backcountry, that is. At the end of the week, we asked each […]
