Over the past month, Kirkwood hosted a contest on its Facebook page, through which the winner would receive a trip to Kirkwood and experience the first ever guided tour of the famed Cirque. The rules: submit a photograph of yourself shredding a sweet line, and include a brief explanation of the experience.
After racking up loads of entries, Kirkwood has narrowed the field down to five finalists. Check ’em out below, and be sure to click through to Kirkwood’s Facebook page and comment on your favorite submission.
1. Chute at SnowBasin, submitted by Grant Savidge
“I was visiting Snowbasin Utah for one of the Dew Tour stops that was there. I was there to film course previews and athlete practice, however, in between I was able to slip away and find a chute that was fairly unique. I hiked to the top of the chute, and I noticed that somebody was following me, I didn’t mind because there was no fresh snow, and the visibility was terrible. When I finally made it to the summit I sat down and waited for the visibility to improve. The gentleman who followed me came up and we started to talk, it was clear that he was unaware where he was, or what was on the other side. I knew this because he asked “Why did you hike up here?”, not the best question to be asking when you are at the summit. Anyways, the weather finally, and briefly, cleared allowing for a view, he looked around, and started his hike back down. Meanwhile, I looked down, and dropped into one of the more unique chutes I have had the opportunity to ski.”
View Grant Savidge’s entry on Facebook
2. Chimney Sweep 4/24/08, submitted by Tyler Boutelle
“Got second tracks in the infamous Chimney Sweep. I was second only to Shane McConkey. I was up there first but I was nervously fumbling with my bindings, then all of a sudden there was Shane all ready to go. He asked me if he could drop in, of course, I said sure. Anyone else, probably not. McConkey made it look easy. I drop in and held it together. As I skied by him he said “nice” and gave me a high five. It was an epic day.”
View Tyler Boutelle’s entry on Facebook
3. 5150 in the Chugach of AK via PNH Heli, submitted by Craig Frey
“Last winter a friend and I made the trip of a lifetime to test our skills on the big mtns of AK. Points North Heli gave us what we asked for. A week of skiing lines such as this, 5150, in the best conditions one could ask for. If you look closely, you can see us standing on the saddle, waiting for our turn to ski the spines below. This shot was taken by a passenger in a chopper flying by. I now live in CO, but grew up in northern CA, learning to ski in the Tahoe basin. Kirkwood eventually became my mountain of choice due to the lift access to “GNAR” terrain. I always found myself starring at the Cirque, searching for potential lines. It would be a dream come true to be able to stand atop that peak enjoying the pucker that would occur before dropping in to the run of “my” lifetime, making my friends who still live in CA and ride Kirkwood jealous!”
View Craig Frey’s entry on Facebook
4. Skiing Antarctica, submitted by Mattias Sullivan
“I was fortunate enough to go skiing in Antarctica with Ice Axe Expeditions. In this photo I was belayed over a cornice by my guide and then side stepped over to where the snow looked the best. I was able to ski fresh powder all the way down the the ocean. Definitely a once in a life time experience for sure! Thanks for your consideration!”
View Mattias Sullivan’s entry on Facebook
5. Grunge Couloir on Mt. Timpanogos, submitted by Ben Woodworth
“Took a page out of Andrew McLean’s book (literally, he wrote a book about chutes in the Wasatch called “The Chuting Gallery”) and ventured up about 4500 vertical feet (trailhead to top) to the Grunge Couloir on Mt. Timpanogos. It took us about 4 hours to get to the top. The snow was firm and stable. It’s always fun skiing steep terrain after touring/booting for 4 hours. Your legs are on fire after the first few turns. After skiing the couloir we skied the massive apron below. It was 100+ turns with variable snow conditions… another leg burner. Although it wasn’t blower pow, it was still an awesome adventure and definitely helped build confidence for bigger, burlier lines in the future.”
