Late last month Simon Evans and I hit Turnagain Pass. A strong low pressure was building and weather forecast was calling for substantial snow over the next couple days. On the way to the pass, with snow starting to fall and visibility limited we decided to keep it mellow and ski some tree shots. Temperatures remain on the cool side, so even low elevation snow is light and blower. We found light, deep snow and good visibility in the trees. Another rewarding day in the southcentral AK backcountry. -Jason Scheben
It was all business at the 2006 Snowsports Industry Tradeshow in Las Vegas this week. In between very important meetings, Powder staffers managed to set aside time for bull rides, keggers and blackjack.
In the lobby of the convention center, David Reddick, Powder's photo editor, displayed the year's best ski photography. On Tuesday evening Aspen/Snowmass threw down with kegs of Budweiser while their Polaroid toting ski bunnies made sure everyone had evidence of a good time in Sin City. Not surprisingly, a large mob of industry peeps came by to check out the impressive display.
Tired, hungover and reeking of Vegas, the crew headed to Aspen for the POWDER VIDEO AWARDS Saturday night. Check back Sunday for complete results and photos from the event.
Complete results for the nighttime Big Air invitational at the 2006 Jeep U.S. Freeskiing Open: 1st Place
TJ Schiller
2nd Place
Charles Gagnier
3rd Place
Andreas Haveit
4th Place
Sammy Carlson
*Hall & Burke win Superpipe, Schiller claims Big Air for second consecutive year with switch 1440
Vail, CO—The Jeep U.S. Freeskiing Open, the largest and most respected contest in freeskiing, completed competition in Vail, Colorado, yesterday with the men’s and women’s Halfpipe competition and the exciting nighttime Big Air invitational, coming on the heels of Friday’s Slopestyle finals. The largest cash prize of the contest, $10,000, went to TJ Schiller of Vernon, BC for his first place finish in the nighttime Big Air invitational. Schiller beat out last year’s Slopestyle winner Charles Gagnier with a huge switch 1440—the first ever seen at the Open. Tanner Hall of Park City, UT took first in men’s Halfpipe, claiming the $7,000 prize, while Sarah Burke of Whistler, B.C. placed first in the women’s division carrying a $2,500 prize.