The top 5 most popular videos on freeskier.com, January 2013
Your top five most popular videos of the month are:
1. Classic Spill: 11-year-old comes up short on first ever jump attempt
2. Giant moose chases guy on the hill at Sugarbush Resort, VT
3. Kelly Sildaru presents her 2012 season highlight reel
4. Tom Wallisch rips rails at Park City, straps on snowboard for a change
5. Colby James West and Jossi Wells produce new song/music video, “Ballin’ Kind Of”
February 5th, 2013
Get your official #celebratesarah sticker today, support the Sarah Burke Foundation
Official #celebratesarah stickers are now available for purchase; the proceeds benefit the Sarah Burke Foundation. Get your official #celebratesarah sticker now.
February 4th, 2013
Watch video of the best skis, boots, goggles and gear from SIA 2013
We just spent the better part of a week hopping booth to booth at the 2013 SIA tradeshow in Denver, CO, in search of the best new ski gear. Turns out, we found a lot of them.
So here for your viewing pleasure are all the videos we cranked out this weekend. For more, check out our SIA Day 1 photo gallery, SIA Day 2 photo gallery and SIA Day 3 photo gallery.
Rossi’s Matt Rihm highlights the Soul 7 ski, part of the new 7 Series line.
Nordica is coming into its 75th year making boots, and for the first time they’ve given a pro model boot: It goes to TJ Schiller. We caught up with TJ at the Snow Show to get the good word on the boot.
We stopped by the APO Snow booth at the Snow Show where we caught up with Sammy Carlson, who has three pro model skis for 2013/14.
Nordica’s Sam Beck gives you the good word on the all-new El Capo, for fall 2013 release.
Surface athlete Banks Gilberti was hanging around the SIA Snow Show, plugging some of his sponsors’ products, including the Surface Double Time.
For those who refuse to rock the helmet, Slytech presents the Balaclava Impact.
Eric Hjorleifson gives you a peek at the 4FRNT Hoji ski, for fall 2013 release.
Here’s a preview of the Zeal HD Camera Goggle for fall 2013 release, the all-new Fargo goggle and more.
We stopped by the Oakley booth at the SIA Snow Show to check out Sean Pettit’s new Pro Rider Series kit, and the new Snowmad pack, both for fall 2013 release.
Have a look at the Receptor Bug helmet powered by Beats, the Lid goggle and the Spine Snow Tour pack, all new offerings from POC for release in fall 2013.
Take a look at two of Under Armour’s offerings for 2013/14.
What did Henrik Harlaut use to stomp his historic nose butter triple cork 1620 at X Games big air? The Aldente by Armada.
Check out the new Quest Max BC boot from Salomon, hitting shelves fall 2013.
The Infamous ski and Overload boot are two new additions to the Atomic lineup for 2013/14.
The One and the Two are two new additions in Volkl’s powder ski category, hitting shelves in fall 2013.
Two-time defending X Games superpipe champion David Wise has been working on this jacket with O’Neill, which hits shelves fall 2013.
Colorado’s RMU gives you a peek at its ski collection for 2013/14.
The Untracked pant and jacket is a new offering from Patagonia, coming fall 2013.
Hestra is unrolling some fancy new colorways for the Seth Morrison and Henrik Windstedt pro models, a new touchscreen compatible glove, and a new line for fall 2013—among other things.
Smith and its team of pro athletes collaborated on the ID collection—here’s how the project came to life.
The Combyn is a new offering from Giro for fall 2013—we give you the good word on this cool, new helmet.
A small sampling of what’s to come from Discrete this fall.
Brody hits the floor at the SIA Snow Show—mostly hoping to attract a few new Instagram followers.
Colby James West takes a minute to run us through his line of pro model skis.
What’s it like to head into the Snow Show as a buyer? Chris Krance and Drew Van Gorder explain.
Talk to the hand, with Swany’s g.cell glove. What looks to be a standard winter glove is actually a cool gadget; the g.cell features Bluetooth-integration, allowing the glove to pair with your cellular device, and the glove doubles as a phone. The glove vibrates in the thumb, and also the wrist area to notify you of an incoming call. The speaker and the microphone are located on the glove’s thumb, and sound quality is comparable to putting your phone on speaker mode. Pressing one of two buttons on the glove answers and ends the call. The g.cell can also activate voice controls. Just think: you’ll never have to take off your glove on the chairlift—and suffer frozen fingers—to take that important call.
We spent our third day on the Convention Center floor checking out a handful of 2013/14 skiing gear. Here’s some of the greatest stuff we found…
Nick Goepper made his way out to the 2013 SIA Snow Show. We asked him what he was most looking forward to seeing at the Convention Center.
On day two of the 2013 SIA Snow Show, we encountered loads of pro athletes while browsing the Convention Center floor. We spoke with as many of ‘em as we could to give you a feel for what life is like here at the Snow Show, and—of course—to have ‘em give you a peek at some of the hot new products for 2013/14.
The snowsports industry descended upon Denver on Thursday, for the first day of the 2013 SIA Snow Show—one of the most highly anticipated annual events for folks in the skiing industry. All of our favorite brands are on hand this weekend to show off what’s new for 2014 and we’ve only just scratched the surface. On day one we checked in with Oakley, Dakine, Scott and Saga to name a few. This weekend will see many industry gatherings aside from the tradeshow itself. One such gathering will take place Friday night when Freeskier will host a fundraiser to benefit the Sarah Burke Foundation. If you’re in the Denver area, join us from 5pm-9pm at 3342 Larimer St. where you can bid on full sized, framed Lightjet prints while enjoying complimentary food and drinks. In the meantime, check out the gallery above showcasing some of the goods we found Thursday, and stay tuned over the next few days because we’re just warming up.
January 30th, 2013
What’s up with Nick Goepper and Shawn Johnson?
This summer—during the London Olympic Games—an image surfaced of Nick Goepper hanging with gymnast and Olympic gold medalist, Shawn Johnson. The comments on the photo were plenty, Goepper’s fans mostly posting comments like, “OMG u got 2 meet Shawn?! She’s so hawt, u r so lucky.”
This week at the 2013 Aspen X Games, Shawn was on site checking out the action, and cheering on Goepper. She posted four images to her Instagram account (a whopping 375K+ followers) mentioning—or including—Goepper. Meanwhile, Goepper posted three images to his Instagram showcasing himself posing with Shawn. The latest image was posted today, and Nick used the hashtag “#imighthaveacrush.” He also thanked Shawn for coming out to the X Games.
Is this the beginning of beautiful love affair? Can we expect to see super-Olympic babies—capable of medaling in the Winter Games for slopestyle and also in the Summer Games for gymnastics? Time will tell.
January 30th, 2013
Aspen reducing residential speed limit to 14mph for some reason
According to a story in the LA Times, Aspen mayer Mick Ireland is proposing speed limits in residential areas be reduced to 14mph to stop drivers from, wait for it, rushing through stop signs.
The story goes:
Every time traffic slows along the city’s main thoroughfare, cars whiz out of traffic and onto the residential streets, rushing through a series of stop signs to keep making time.
“It’s crazy,” Ireland told the Los Angeles Times. “Drivers don’t really save any time because of all the stop signs, but they all tell me that they just feel better if they keep moving, rather than being stuck in traffic.”
To help quell this nightmare, Ireland has proposed the 14mph speed limit in residential areas that, according to the times, will “get your attention” like a “black-diamond ski slope.”
“Nobody’s going to go crazy here,” [Ireland] said. “We’re not going to be handing out tickets for going three miles over a 14-mph speed limit. I ride my bike in that area and even I can go faster than 14 miles an hour.”
tl;dr: Aspen’s mayor is bummed that people are rushing through stop signs so he wants to reduce the speed limit to an odd number that people will notice with no expectation of anyone adhering to or enforcing the new law.
And so the world keeps on turning…
January 28th, 2013
Tom Wallisch is the most talked about skier on Facebook after X Games
The X Games are, sadly, over. Undoubtedly, the biggest winner this weekend (after Shaun White and America’s Global Force for Good) was Henrik Harlaut, taking gold in a historic big air, and silver in slopestyle the next day.
However, it’s Tom Wallisch who’s being talked about more than anyone else on Facebook right now, more than doubling Henrik Harlaut. Crazy.
| Skier | Talking About |
|---|---|
| Tom Wallisch | 4,284 |
| Simon Dumont | 2,965 |
| Tanner Hall | 2,963 |
| Gus Kenworthy | 2,959 |
| Bobby Brown | 2,943 |
| Jossi Wells | 1,728 |
| Henrik Harlaut | 1,633 |
| PK Hunder | 903 |
| Kevin Rolland | 848 |
| Kaya Turski | 700 |
Check out all of our X Games coverage.
January 23rd, 2013
The most talked about Winter X Games skiers on Facebook
With the 2013 Winter X Games going down in Aspen this week, social media is ablaze with chatter about the skiers who are set to throw down.
Here are the ten most talked about invited X Games skiers on Facebook:
| Skier | Talking About # |
|---|---|
| Simon Dumont | 3,788 |
| Tom Wallisch | 3,091 |
| Tanner Hall | 2,627 |
| Henrik Harlaut | 1,832 |
| Jossi Wells | 1,426 |
| Gus Kenworthy | 1,394 |
| Bobby Brown | 1,163 |
| PK Hunder | 937 |
| Kevin Rolland | 757 |
| Kaya Turski | 721 |
Click on a skier’s name to go to his/her Facebook page and stay tuned to Freeskier.com for more mind-blowing social media stats!
January 23rd, 2013
The professional freestyle scooter scene is blowing up! Jk. No, but seriously.
Maybe I’m too old to “get it,” but it seems the “freestyle scooter” culture is shaping up to become a real sport, and that is really tripping me out.
Check out this edit that’s making the rounds today, ripe with epic claims and more spinny flippy things than an aerials competition.
What’s next? The rise of the professional dual snowboards scene? Whoops, I just puked in my mouth.
January 22nd, 2013
Justin Dorey pulls out of the X Games
Justin Dorey, who stood atop the Dew Tour podium just over a month ago, has officially pulled out of this week’s X Games competition. The heavy hitter has been battling an injury since last January when he dislocated his left shoulder during competition.
While skiing his second halfpipe run at the Dew Tour in Breckenridge this past December, Dorey suffered another dislocation after a botched air-to-fakie sent him to the bottom of the pipe, where he collapsed to the ground before popping his shoulder back into place. After a few weeks of rest he was back on snow preparing for this week’s showdown in Aspen but once again dislocated his shoulder while training at Breckenridge.
Dorey has now pulled out of competition and opted to undergo surgery to repair the joint. This is a smart choice as repeated dislocations can cause serious long-term damage. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him out on the hill again.
January 22nd, 2013
Here’s proof that Suz Graham is gnarly as hell
Suz Graham released a little edit today of her and a small group climbing the Ancient Art desert tower in Moab and then BASE jumping off. Hey, it beats climbing back down, right?
Watch it:
You can follow Suz on Twitter.
