Whoever began exporting Swiss stereotypes to the rest of the world must have spent a lot of time in Zermatt. At a superficial glance, this place is a shrine to popular cultures perception of Switzerland. It is an exercise in Order and Cleanliness in a Picturesque setting. The town itself is an idyllic car free zone and a veritable aesthetic treasure. The mountains...
Much has been written about Niseko. It is no longer the secret powder haven it once was. But beyond the tourist trappings, Niseko remains a veritable treasure trove of culture and gastronomy. You just need to know how to find it. In this three part series, we profile a range of Niseko's smaller, less know restaurants and venues. I have worked and skied in Niseko...
Alaska. The place with mountain faces the size of 10 football fields stacked on end, tilted at 50-60 degree angles, and rippled with flutes and spines. There are 100-foot cliffs, crevasses, and a gaping bergschrund all on a single run. Growing up skiing in Colorado, the dream of heli skiing the legendary Chugach Mountains in Alaska started at an early age. But it was...
Telluride is gorgeous. The historic, mining town charm is blessed with take-your-breath-away views, days of sunshine and steep, challenging terrain. I can't stay away from this place. I have been to Telluride three times in the last six months. It certainly helps that my favorite (and only) little brother lives there – which means a local powder stash...
Sweetgrass Productions have swept all before them in the Winter Sports Film industry. Their movies invoke poetic rhythm and soulful narratives. We chatted to director Nick Waggoner about how 4 friends from Colorado College began travelling the world with loose morals, strong principles, a camera, and some skis. Where are you from? From NYC, the village, a...
The Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan is not a pre-eminent winter destination. In spite of its abundant mountain ranges, backcountry and snowfall, the country's isolation and occassional political instability has resulted in less fanfare than its emerging neighbours Gulmarg and Sochi. But Ryan Koupal is setting out to change Kyrgyzstan's place in the...
Katya Crema is one of Australia's most prominent Winter Athletes. She competes in Skier-x, an event that requires athleticism, technique and daredevil fearlessness. For the uninitiated, it is a discipline in which 4 competitors race down a course combining natural terrain with artificial jumps, banks and rollers. It is fast, dangerous, skillful and downright...
Sunburnt and hungover, I wake with a jolt. It is 7:12am on a pristine Queenstown morning and my phone is ringing. The voice at the other end informs me that ‘we’ve got some inversion in the valley, but there is a hole big enough to extract the chopper above the cloud cover, so we are flying today. Get yourself over to Wanaka’. We are in the South...
Adam Palander is a snowboarder, and one of Scandinavia’s best young photographers. His images exhibit a mastery of light and texture. In the time it takes for most young photographers to learn that aperture settings are counter-intuitive, he has assembled a fine portfolio of snowboarding images. We caught up with Adam recently to find out a little more about...
The town of Cortina is the early 90's supermodel of European ski resorts. Glamorous, stylish and replete with impossible natural beauty. Perched in a valley dwarfed by the spectacular Dolomite range, the region is also a UNESCO listed heritage site. If that doesn't ignite your snow sliding mojo, try this then being part of the the largest interconnected lift...
