July 4th Skiing at Kirkwood!
Lift access for skiing/riding will be available this Fourth of July Weekend! Skiers/riders will access the snow of Thunder Saddle, the Wall, and Sentinel Bowl by hiking along ridges (over dirt) before descent. Hiking shoes are recommended. Be ready for expert terrain (obstacles will exist; no beginner or intermediate runs available). The ridge hike from the top of Chair 6 to the Wall is about 35 minutes. At snow’s end, click out and walk 10 minutes back to the base of Chair 6. Sentinel Bowl is a 15 minute walk from the top of “6″ with a 10 minute walk at the bottom. Round trip runs: 35 to 60 minutes.

Have a little faith…

Although not deeply religious, I would consider myself a deep believer in the power of faith… my father would tell me growing up that I could do anything as long as I put my mind to it, and to a large degree, I have to say… he was right. I will admit, it is easier said than done at times; especially when it comes to things like walking on water, but when you have the focus, persistence and truly believe that you can do something… your chances for success increase exponentially and that’s a fact.

It is no secret that pro athletes have used the tactic of envisioning the task before them to prepare themselves mentally. A perfect example was the past Winter Olympics… I am sure almost everyone remembers Lindsey Vonn winning the Women’s Gold Medal in downhill skiing. What I remember more than anything is seeing Lindsey standing at the top of the hill before her run… somewhat bobbing and weaving. She had memorized the course and was going through the turns in her head. Combining this with muscle memory enables the body to react faster and more accurately when under stress.

The power of this exercise is unmistakable. I am not sure what is going on as far as your neurons firing and such, but there is definitely some connection that takes place between the metaphysical to the physiological capabilities of a human being. It is proof in my mind that training, both mind and body is much more powerful than just pumping iron so to speak.

This is nothing new really. You may have also seen master illusionists like Houdini and David Blaine push the limits a of what the human body can withstand by submerging themselves without air for hours or encasing themselves in ice for days. Both illusionists say they were able to do these feats by going to a trance, controlling their breathing and training. Many discount this as trickery, but pro athletes like freediver and World Record holder Carlos Coste of Venezuela make you think twice. Athletes like Carlos, who in 2003 dove 102 meters (312 feet) underwater without assistance or an oxygen tank are also pushing the limits of what was previously considered impossible by training their mind and bodies.

Other Examples?

A. FMX poster child and Nitro Circus ring leader Travis Pastrana wowed crowds at X Games 15 last summer with his rodeo 720 attempt on a 250lb motorcycle.

B. Big Mountain Skiers like Titus Engelborg, Leo Brayman, and Jamie Pierre are doing front flips off cliffs in excess of 200ft, without a parachute!

C. And now Sebastian Vanderwerf, Miguel Delfortrie, Ulf Gartner and their buddies are… walking on water?

Although the Hi-Tec liquid mountaineering video has finally been claimed as a viral marketing hoax created by Amsterdam creative agency CCCP, the believability of it can not be denied… the accomplishment is not a physical win, it is a creative win. The video topped the YouTube charts as one of the most viewed videos in less than two weeks.

I guess my point is this… when you feel challenged in life, just remind yourself of these conquering moments in each of these individuals personal history and think about how many people told them it couldn’t be done.

Remember… mind over matter, anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it. Use the force!

The corn seems to be setting up nicely in the late afternoon the past few days. I think it is actually better now after the rain we received over the past week. Skins were sliding too much so I ended up boot packing up the steeper sections but man, there is nothing like skiing on a warm sunny afternoon with the view of Lake Tahoe in the background.

Squaw Valley and the entire Freeskiing community suffers a devastating loss as news of 29 year old Pro Freeskier Arne Backstrom’s death begins to spread. Early reports state that Arne passed away yesterday after a big mountain skiing accident in the Pisco Peak region of Peru, South America.

Although the Backstrom name has been ingrained in steep and deep lovers minds for many years now thanks to his sister Ingrid; Arne was a relatively unknown name in the ski industry until the past year. With only 1 year on the USFS circuit, Arne seemed to effortlessly dominate the Freeskiing World Tour this past season clinching the overall #1 spot on the tour by edging out veteran Griffin Post by 1 point. He stepped up event after event capturing several wins on the tour this year including Revelstoke, the coveted Sickbird award and the first ever McConkey Cup.

It is always tragic when such a great talent passes away at such a young age and I personally can only take comfort in the thought that his passion and presence will live on in the hearts and minds of those who have shared it. Thoughts and prayers go out to the Backstrom family.

Traditionally, Lake Tahoe and the Eastern Sierras offer some of the best spring skiing in the world with warm days and enough corn to make Orville Redenbacher take notice. This season is no different. In fact even with the rain that the Sierras is receiving presently, several of the resorts – technically closed, still are serving up runs with plenty of coverage from the top of the peak to the valley floor.

If you haven’t started earning your turns, maybe now is the time to start. All you need is a little gear and a fierce attitude for getting out and enjoying life!

Here is the setup I use….

Alpine Trekkers
I have tried nearly every Alpine Touring binding on the market and still keep coming back to the Alpine Trekker. A simple one size fits all device that has not changed in design in over 20 years, it is a bulletproof solution that is stable on steeper grades and minimizes lateral torsion. You can pick up a pair for $100 bucks.

G3 Skins
Skins allow you to go uphill on your skis without sliding backwards. The technology although revised with synthetic fibers and cements is actually centuries old. Your neanderthal cousins probably fashioned them out of woolly mammoth fur and tendons. The G3 skins are more flexible than the Black Diamond counterparts and I like them cause I can fold them down and stuff them in my jacket pocket instead of carrying a pack on short hikes.

Adjustable Flintlock Poles by Black Diamond
The advantage of these poles is the fact that they are quickly and easily adjustable and light even though they utilize about twice as much metal as a traditional ski pole. The grips are also made of a soft rubber material which is great for hiking… They also come with a cool self arrest whipit attachment for scaling the gnar!

Garmont Alpine Touring Boots
Although my AT boots are several years old they are bomber and I can not imagine hiking in anything else. The benifit of AT boots is a lower cut, lighter shell with lock out walking feature that enables the boot to flex far easier than a traditional ski boot. I have replaced nearly every screw on them, the Viabram soles, and burned through two sets of liners, but they still keep on rocking!

The last thing you will need is a bomber pair of rock skis… something you don’t mind banging up a little. I use an old pair of Volkl Gotamas which I love to ski on. They are super durable, wide enough to get into the pow and not too heavy to lug up the hill.

It’s always important to consider safety first, so be sure to carry a beacon, probe and shovel and try and always use the buddy system or let folks know when your headed out into backcountry. Avalanche training is also a good idea. Numerous courses are publicly available for beginners and advanced adventurers alike.

So now you know what you need, be sure and check out my Map of Lake Tahoe and Eastern Sierra Backcountry Destinations. See ya out there!

2010 Results:
Unlimited: Dan Hurley
Women’s Ski: Katherine Lange
Women’s Snowboard: Iris Lazzareschi
Most Creative: Derek Brown
Men’s Snowboard: Spencer Cordovan
Overall Winner and Skinny Ski Winner: Kyle Crezee

via: unofficialsquaw

The RoboCup competition, first held in 1997, is intended to spark developments in robotics and artificial intelligence that could see robots become more useful to humans in rescue operations, assisting the disabled or elderly, and other applications.

The RoboCup competition is a well-known, landmark project in the robotics communities. Virginia Tech became the first team from the United States to participate in RoboCup’s humanoid league when it qualified for the 2007 competition in Atlanta.

RoboCup has multiple leagues for different sizes and types of robots. TEAM VT DARwIn is competing in the kid-size, humanoid league for two-legged robots up to 60 centimeters tall.

The rules of competition get tougher each year, Hong said. Last year’s challenge was for teams of two-robots — one goalie, one striker. This year’s more challenging games will be three-on-three with collaborative play.

The roots of TEAM VT DARwIn go back to 2004, when Hong and his students created a two-legged humanoid robot as part of their research into bipedal locomotion. Since then, he and his students have created progressively more advanced versions. For RoboCup, they are fielding the DARwIn III series.

“It’s a refinement,” Hong said. “Much stronger, faster, smarter.” Developing robots that can walk around like people, as opposed to relying on wheels, is important if robots are to be able to realize their full potential to help humans, Hong said.

“For these robots to live with us, they have to have a similar form, a locomotion method so they can actually climb stairs instead of us building a special ramp for the robots,” he explained.

“RoboCup is an amazing place to be,” he said, “You have so many different robots, developed all over the world. People with completely different backgrounds and educations [are] all competing on the same challenge and trying to do the same things. You really see a lot of different perspectives, which is always very interesting.”

RoboCup team members are allowed to program their robots to perform specific functions on the field, such as forward, defender, and goalie. But the robots have to play autonomously, not by remote control, for two 15-minute periods.

In other words, participants prepare their robots as best they can, then hope their squad will perform as expected.

Substituting an E-Bike for conventional fossil fuel transportation improves your employees’ health, enabling them to improve their mental and physical fitness. That translates into more human energy at home and at work. In addition, riding an E-Bike will shorten commutes by eliminating the time spent looking for a parking space, waiting for public transportation and maneuvering around traffic jams. And, because e-bikes come equipped with a hybrid electric assist motor, employees arrive invigorated, unfettered by urban congestion and ready to begin their day. Below is a short video on PIETZO’s E-Bike.

via: nrgspot

Enter to win two free all-inclusive weeks to Momentum Summer Ski Camps in Whistler with either X Games Record Breaker, TJ Schiller or Olympic Gold medalist Alex Bilodeau as your mentors. Momentum Ski Camps is the largest skiing-only summer camp in North America. For 19 years they have driven and fed the sport of Freestyle skiing in both moguls and freeride, by helping produce some of the greatest skiers in the world. During the 2010 Olympics, 4 of the 6 medals in Moguls went to former Momentum Campers, including Gold for Alex Bilodeau. At X Games this year two of the coaches broke world records. The camp is open and designed to teach all levels of skiers.

To enter, visit MomentumCamps.com and click on the contest button on the front page. ]]> http://tahoedesigner.com/2010/04/12/two-chances-to-win-a-free-summer-camp-at-momentum-ski-camp/feed/ 0 http://tahoedesigner.com/2010/04/01/california-proposed-resort-helmet-laws/ http://tahoedesigner.com/2010/04/01/california-proposed-resort-helmet-laws/#comments Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:20:58 +0000 Tahoe Designer http://espn.go.com/action/snowboarding/blog/_/post/5045146 This seems to be the season of the concussion. First Kevin Pearce’s widely publicized halfpipe slam and subsequent hospitalization, then Olympic Gold Medalist Torah Bright’s multiple Winter X Games concussions. Now, the state of California is considering two laws that would require all skiers and snowboarders under the age of 18 to wear a helmet.

Helmets are no new thing in the sport. They were popularized a while back by young halfpipe riders like Abe Teter, made “cool” by Superpipe star Shaun White, and are now even required for entrance into top-tier terrain parks, like Whistler Blackcomb’s “Highest Level” area. Anyone that’s been on the slopes for a few years now will agree that helmet use is on the rise. And this is more than mere observation, as a National Ski Areas Association survey reports 48 percent of all skiers and snowboarders wore helmets during the 2007-08 season; compared to 25 percent during the 2002- 2003 season.

One of the two helmet laws being proposed would make resorts responsible for enforcement. And while only a numbskull would argue that helmets are a bad idea, this stipulation is ruffling some feathers. Confirming that everyone who drops into a terrain park has a helmet on is one thing, but trying to enforce the proposed law across an entire resort is a task that critics say is basically impossible, and one that opens resorts to litigation.

“That is the heart of the issue — we cannot be policemen,” says Bob Roberts, the Executive Director of the California Ski Area Association, who added that the law in question would “open up endless opportunities for litigation.”

Roberts and the CSAA are backing a separate helmet measure, Senate Bill 80, which places the responsibility of enforcement on the parent.

“The statue that we are supporting is the same statute that is in place for skateboard helmets as well as bicycling helmets. It does not mandate enforcement on the part of a private establishment. If there was an injury, it would be the responsibility of the individual, and not the resort.”

Senate Bill 80 is up for Senate hearing on April 7th, and then would be off to the Governator’s desk. The counterpart bill that places helmet enforcement on ski resorts is much further behind in legislative process and likely won’t get to the Senate till next fall.

Roberts’ prediction: Well, Schwarzenegger is an Austrian — where the responsibility of skier safety falls largely on the individual — and an avid skier, so he suspects the Governor will support Senate Bill 80.

via: espn.com