Month: March 2006

Valhalla Powder Cats

Posted on by Smoke

My first bluebird day of the year and it’s what….March? Thanks Carey. Well, it’s another day with Valhalla Powder Cats, the best cat skiing in world. Sort of crowded what with Dave and Bill Heath up doing some film work (that’s Dave’s Landcruiser there).

What a difference from yesterday as we do a pre-trip safety meet and beacon search.

Anna, Dave’s girlfriend, has only been skiing this season. OK, she’s been boarding for a while but still….

Tyler, yesterdays driver, and todays tail gunner.

AJ throws a little style in the mix.

We stayed to pretty mellow terrain today as the avy hazard was a bit savage today. Not a problem really. I’ll charge moderate slopes in the sun with big pow shots till the cows come home. Allison agrees…

John soaks up the views.

Ooops. The British are here. V is supposed to for Victory there, gnasher.

John’s dad (damn, I forgot your handle), tearing it up on the fat boys.

Jeremey on the last day of his tour. Picked a good one I’d say.

Nick, or the other Limey who’s name I didn’t catch.

Me. Obviously having a very good day. Thanks for the shot, Nick.

Jeremey drops into Joe’s Garage for a fluid check.

The Cat on top of T-Bo.

Like father, like son.

A couple of short video clips too:

Clip #1 — Joe’s Unpronouncable Disease
 Clip #2 — Tylers Tomahawk

    If you’ve never been cat skiing GO NOW! Here, I’ll link up Valhalla Powder Cats again for ya. Drop my name for extra abuse and ridicule.

    The Wade Simmons Freeride Experience 2006
    Click for details….

    In the Spirit…

    Posted on by Smoke

    Well, if I’m going to honour the memory of a friend, I’d better suck up the tears and go and charge the mountains.

    It was in this sprit that me and Joe (a long time ski partner) headed out to the Valhalla Powder Cats tenure to do some turns and some snow assessments. The conditionos were somewhat horrific as there was about 80 cms on top of a serious crust and hoar layer. With the warm temps of the past week it was a bit touchy. Plus, all the cat roads were buried so the they all had to be rebuilt. Two cats, one snowmobile, and me and Joe. VIP skiing at it’s finest.

    The new terrain at Valhalla is awesome. Way bigger and more varied than the old tenure. You can see some sweet cliffs behind the snowmobile here.

    This is Joe after hitting a tree with the sled. It might have been the brakeman’s fault…I’m not saying any more.

    Safety first.

    Well, it’s not that safe, but we’re skiing it anyway.

    Tyler heading down to Pic-a-Pop, just below Nirvana Bowl.

    More good turns. Joe in Byron Bay.

    Our driver, Tyler, in full concentration.

    Wade Simmons Freeride Experience
    July 9th to July 27th.
    Click for details….

    In Memory of Carey Bokser

    Posted on by Smoke

    This is so not right. I mean, with some of the crew, you kind of expect them to make a dramatic transition to the next world, but not Carey. I had this image of him as an old Jewish guy hanging out in the skate park and hassling the young punks.

    “Oi! You call that a backside grind? In my day, we had to grind on dirt lips and the rails were full of splinters. You youngun’s have no idea what rad is.”

    I guess not…..

    If you never met him, that’s the real shame. You had a friend that you didn’t even know about. Just one of those guys that’s on your side without any preamble. I met Carey and Ann way back in ’95 at the old Hell of the Desert in Kamloops. Also the day that I met Trevor Marshall (Full Boar Bike Store) and Derek “Big D” Westerlund (Freeride Entertainment). I think Carey and D met that day too. Also our first lap of Greenstone Mtn. A lot of miles under the tires since then.

    The whole tribe came out for the funeral this week.

    Here’s Gabe, D, and Thomas helping to send our brother off in style.

    It was great to see the next wave of wildness paying tribute to their elders. Gully, Sorge, and Kurts sweetheart (damn she’s cute. I think her name was Thea, but I’m kind of blurry on that program).

    ..and that Bjorn guy, sharing a laugh with ace photographer Colorado Matt Scholl.

    Here’s a little sample of the madness.

    [jwplayer player=”3″ mediaid=”7498″]

    I’m already missing you buddy. Much love and big fat hugs to Ann, Noa, the Freeride Crew, and the rest of the tribe.

    Wade Simmons Freeride Experience
    July 9th to July 27th.
    Click for details….