K2 BACK 9: Hole 5The brainchild of Shane Szocs and K2’s Marketing Manager Mike Gutt, the Back 9 is derived from the concept of mini-golf skiing, a film term for short, technical descents. “We had been looking to create an event with a combination of different features, including at least one short, technical mini-golf line,” says Gutt. “The switch turned on and we started thinking about the event as an actual mini-golf event, thus spurring the name Back 9.” Once the name was coined, the golf-like themes and guidelines teed off. The event, “not a competition,” reiterated Gutt, had a time window from March 1-April 15 ensuring ideal snow and light conditions. The 11 invited athletes (originally 12, but injuries cut the field to 11) were on-call and had 48 hours to report to Whistler. Once there, they skied nine “holes” or runs with everything from cliffs, chutes, pillow drops, manmade step-downs, and big pow lines. Check back every week for a new clip from the Back 9...
TGR CLIP OF THE WEEK: Sage's Avalanche Sage Cattabriga-Alosa triggers a spooky low-angle slade. For more sick footage from Teton Gravity Research, order Anomaly today!