So I am sitting here at the computer, typing questions, lining out clinic formats, editing some footage for some up coming projects, and dreaming of snow. I have on my HMK outfit as I am doing all this, either its really cold down here in my office, or I am overly excited about this coming season, if the snow would start to fall! Here in the Tahoe area, we have received very little precipt over the past few months. One snow storm in October that dropped 2 feet at 8,000ft but melted about a week later. Then a few flurries, a 6 inch storm about 4 weeks ago which made the mtn biking trails ice rinks. Its been bitter cold, keeping most of the little amount of snow in the shadows and north facing aspects, but Im not sure if that’s good or not. There is definitely not enough to go ride yet which is starting to be a bummer, but when I look at last year how could we expect anything like that. It snowed more than anyone alive has ever seen. Over 800 inches of snow fall in some parts of the sierra making it one of 8 to 10 winters ever on record. It was also from November starting with an 8 foot storm then another 8 footer in December, and so on…… Ending up with over 3 ft falling in June. Wow……. This winter might be starting a few weeks later than last, but I still think its going to be off the hook. New sleds, new parts, gear and plans are happening every day and the stoke to ride is building. Soon we will all be roosting pow with our crews, traveling around in search for that one turn, that one face shot, one hit, drop or just that one moment out in the backcountry that makes you love this sport and what you get to do out there. So check out another video, read that mag again and get fired up! Cauz this season is going to rock!
Ride On.
With the money booter at 80 ft, and a rythem section of two 50 footers and a 60 footer, the boys were flying all over the place. This year we put in a hip jump that looked like it was around 60 plus and there were sleds sideways all day off that thing.
Around mid afternoon the sled count was over 100 and people were enjoying the spring Sierra sun and sledding. The first day was great and only a few wrecked sleds and broken bones. We heard there was a broken collor bone, and dislocated knuckle. Not bad for an open track of jumps these size. Once the day got going it was non stop action. There were a few boondock contests, which Luke Stephens out of Bear Vally CA won on his Ski Doo 154 race machine. As well as some killer hucking and even some drag racing. Charles was holding the drags with his Polaris dragon turbo, and nobody could step to his speed. At one point Randy Sugihara towed a skier into one of the gap jumps, that was awsome, with out injury they both made the gap and people were fired up.
Sunday started around noon with everyone moving pretty slow. The snow was wet and slushy and getting intresting on the jumps. Ken Evans and Shane Kelley did some work on the money booter and then started hitting it a few times. Shane turned to me and said “yo D, my timing is a little off today……” which I took lightly. Then after a few minutes he came into the money booter, the day before he was making that jump look like a cake walk, he launched and was imedeitely sideways and didn’t look good. He came up just a little short and all jacked up. He was flung from his sled and both cartwheeled down the landing. The crowed was silent. Shane broke some ribs, had a contusion on his chest, brusied his kidney, and poped out his shoulder. He walked away and even got on the mike
There was also a doubles race, the crew from Bear Valley was intense and they really wanted a doubles race, so it went down and ofcourse Luke Stephens won that! What a great day to end the weekend of Huckfest! See you all next year!
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