Sunshine proved the perfect host once again and conditions were spot on. I can confirm this was no standard ski test, having been at more than my share. All our park skis came detuned so we could thrash them on rails from the off. But we all came away feeling like we could properly judge the skis we tried. At least until the third or fourth rounds of Shafts and Pickle Backs hit....
I got the call to go and witness the madness and, naturally, the stoke was high. It just often seemed to pass me by. Being a big behind closed doors invitational event it seemed far removed from us as skiers. After spending the week here things became a lot clearer. The no-pressure, totally free, and inventive approach to skiing truly gives back to the invited riders. Its the little things like this that began to marinate with me over the week....
There are many cliches that get thrown around the ski world. To really get the whole story, I’d recommend watching “The Bravest people I know” first. He only has to go to the clinic once a month. The rest is daily chemo that you’ve got the option to just take at home. Then you cycle through different medicines/drugs like right now he takes these steroids for a week every month....
Articles like this one are dead. Long-form ski writing is on life support. Outside is buying up all of the outlets to keep as cute little cash cows. Or something else equally dire. So sayeth the prophets of doom at least. In some ways its a terrible time to be a person who wants to tell stories about skiing. I was young and optimistic then. Since then of course, some things have changed....
This crew have been doing something special for a few winters now, with creativity and style merged seamlessly. Its their smaller counterparts producing unique and interesting content that is really shining through in the community. Remco and Buldoz are giving back to these skiers and crews. Everyone was so stoked to be involved in a laidback event and comparisons to Kimbo were often made. Dakine also pulled up to help pull off an epic week such as this....
Yesterday it became very apparent to me, just how lucky I am. I started at the Summit of Snoqualmie when I was 4. My dad then moved us down the street to Alpental when the basics were established. Earlier this week, I received a text from my dads buddy Craig. I have skied with Craig since before I can remember, well sort of. These guys are coming up on 70 in a few years....
I became aware of freeski culture at the height of the Skittle-thug era. Magazines were packed with shots of folks in the Salomon Magic Suit and G Suit. Skiing had an unmistakable style. I remember battling my parents to not make fun of me for wearing XXL snow pants. Id sneak an extra long basketball jersey into my pack to put over my hoody for spring steeze. Skiing had a distinctive flavor, and I was doing everything in my power to match it....
Photos: Hanne Lundin It’s weird to me that you don’t see more tours in snowsports. Back in my skateboarding days, there were tours pretty much constantly. Which makes the Quiksilver Surf La Mountain tour all the more unique. Fresh off the back of a trip to Beijing, it clearly made a welcome change. As Finn said, “I wish more brands would do this”. Finn & Antti got to spend time with the designers working on future collections and giving direct feedback....
Poles are making a comeback. Well, at least as a topic of conversation. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. In addition, we expect to see a small reduction in injuries as a result." It’s not a sustainable situation for athletes to be given the freedom to choose in a FIS event. We need standardization to get to ensure fair competition. They cause skier’s thumb and they can easily end up damaging the athlete in a crash....
So I wont rehash that at length. We cant stop billionaires from buying up businesses. We cant stop out-of-state developers from gobbling up affordable housing. Hell, we cant even do much about things like overpriced parking passes and gutted park crews. Im not interested in just throwing up my hands and giving up though. Im not quite ready to admit defeat and give up on mountain towns. The situation reminds me of this flowchart that lives in the front pocket of my SAR jacket....
This season, I jumped to the dark side of skiing. Judging contests is an interesting challenge, pressure-filled and fun all at once. Ive visited top-tier resorts, met my idols, and learned a lot about the state of skiing. Judging is not easy. Every skier thinks they deserve to win, and we dont give out participation trophies. Being at these events as a judge is an empowering feeling. Everyone you meet gives out a high level of respect....
It was a truly special event and one we hope to see return long into the future. Oh, and really cheap beer. The brief, and the park, were open to interpretation. Dan hit the nail on the head with everything. Meal tickets earned you “One Fucking Meal” and kept attendees fuelled for the week. It’s hard to overstate how good the energy on the hill was. Although the edits arent going to be out until Fall....
In this episode, we sit down with ski legend Tom Wallisch to discuss the past, present, and future of his event, Steel City Showdown. @TwoPlankerPod https://www.instagram.com/twoplankerpod/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DoaAVYv69xAV50r8ezybK Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-planker-podcast/id1546428207 YouTube: [URL]https://www.instagram.com/jake.nomiddlename.dube[/URL]/ More From Steel City Showdown 2022: Show Notes: 0:00:00 Line Skis ad read 0:00:30 Intro 0:01:20 Tom’s background 0:03:45: Origin of Steel City Showdown event, Growing up with Steve Stepp 0:11:20 First steps, Costs 0:22:15 Green light, Reaching out to skiers, Delegation...
