Stories
Watch: Cody Townsend's The FIFTY+
The Pursuit of Classics Continues. After 6 years of following, climbing and skiing 46 of the lines and mountains in the book “The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America”, Cody Townsend is now chasing a personally inspired and modern list of classics. Lé Bent is proud to be along for the ride once again providing Cody with his pro series snow socks, his favourite touring cap, as well as "the best base layer I've ever worn." "Using a personally created metric of characteristics like Aesthetics, Ski Quality, Climb Quality, Bragging Rights and more, each episode will venture into the mountains and come home with a decision on the question, “Is it a Classic or not?” said Cody. Shop the Cody Pro Series Snow Sock
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Running The Pilliga Ultra Trail Race - Tom Batrouney
RUNNING TO SAVE OUR WILD PLACES Words by Tom Batrouney Photos by Calumn Hockey When was the last time you ran to SAVE THE WORLD? For me, it’s been a three-year journey to finally reach the start line of the Pilliga Ultra 50k, and I was stoked to be there this year. The Pilliga is Australia’s largest inland forest spanning over half a million hectares and the For Wild Places team host this event to encourage people to explore its rugged trails, connect with a community of fellow runners, and advocate for its protection. The local Gomeroi people, among others, have been battling against fracking in The Pilliga for years, providing clear evidence of habitat destruction, gas leaks, and groundwater contamination. Running has given me a chance to pursue a purpose beyond myself, using my body, mind, and voice for a greater good while inspiring others to safeguard our beautiful wild spaces and it was time to run! My race strategy was to start strong, find my rhythm out front, and maintain my pace to the finish. It nearly went according to plan. When the gun went off, I made the most of the first 8-10 kilometres of flat farm roads, a river crossing, and trails before tackling the first significant climb. I knew it would be tough because it always is, so I focused on the cause, the FWP team, and the significance of this race, all while pushing through the challenges with a smile. I felt great as I ran hard, especially on the flats, and at the 20km mark, everything felt right. There’s no better feeling than running hard in a race and not feeling like you’re working hard at all. At the 30km aid station, I noticed the second-place runner was only three minutes behind, but I kept my dream state alive, committing to push myself even harder over the next 15kms to increase my lead again. My lead grew over second place, and I began to imagine the finish line hug with Hilary, the CEO of For Wild Places. I wanted to express my gratitude for everything she and her team have accomplished, and I imagined that too. It was all playing out in my head, and I felt really proud of myself and like I had done it. As I approached the last 2kms which were flat, I couldn’t quite see the finish line, but I felt close. Then, I reached a gate that looked familiar from earlier on in the race, and my heart sank. I screamed at the top of my lungs until my voice gave out, and then I screamed again and again until I wasn’t making any sound. Checking my watch, I saw "off course," and for a moment, I considered giving up and sitting down before I panicked and sprinted back to where I had made my wrong turn, just 2kms from the finish. My legs felt utterly wrecked. The 4km detour not only allowed the second-place runner to take the lead but also sent my heart rate soaring and my legs into disarray. I crossed the finish line in second place, three minutes behind the first, feeling broken, bewildered, and in disbelief. I had executed the best race of my life—well, 99% of it, anyway. The Pilliga is a special place, a wild experience I want every human to feel at least once in their lives. I have spent my life outdoors running and exploring and the Pilliga has opened my eyes and shown me that there is so much more of our incredible country to explore, fall in love with and that needs us to run for it not just in it. See you at The Pilliga Ultra next year!Find out more about the work For Wild Places do and find out more about the Pilliga Ultra here.
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LÉ BENT WELCOMES NICK RUSSELL TO THE TEAM
Nick Russell has dedicated his life to being in the moment in the mountains. With a riding style that he describes as "a blend between low stress pow riding in the forest and intentional movement into the alpine", Nick has been on our radar for many years at Lé Bent. The sock gods saw fit to intervene and after leaving his socks at home, Nick finally dipped his toes into a borrowed pair of our Signature Merino Blend... and he couldn't go back. We caught up with Nick to welcome him to the team. LB: Hey Nick, welcome to the Lé Bent pro team!!! Thank you! I’m honored and excited to be here next to some heavy hitters on the team, not to mention to be running the best socks in the game. It sounds like we have Cody Townsend to thank for getting you in our snow socks. Is it true the first pair of Lé Bent socks you wore were a ‘rental pair’ Cody had in the back of his van? Yes, this is true. I showed up to do one of the Fifty lines with him in the Eastern Sierra and realized I forgot my socks. Thankfully the guy had an extra pair. If I remember correctly, they were his pro model socks which were perfect for a long spring day. LB: A long spring day for Nick = A sufferfest of epic proportions.. Hopefully, they were a clean pair… what did you think of them? For someone that spends 8 months non-stop in their boots, socks are perhaps one of the most important elements to my overall happiness in the mountains. Everything from the merino blend that makes sure I don’t sweat, to the fluid articulation in the ankle and up to compression in the right spots, I’m honestly blown away with the performance of these socks. And, did he ask for them back? I think he knew better than to ask for them back ;) Thankfully we were able to send you your own pairs that you could actually keep… How do you find the different cushioning options and do you have a favourite pair now? I find myself bouncing between the lightweight cushion and zero cushion options for longer warmer spring days and the slightly thicker Xavier De Le Rue Pro Series Sock for colder days. Just like how you adapt your board for current conditions, it's the same with socks. It’s amazing to wear something that clearly has had so much attention to detail go into it. After a full season of heavy duty use, I think I only circulated between 3 or 4 pairs, which says a lot about their durability. You’ve been dragged along on a lot of Cody’s Fifty lines and been a fan favourite in a bunch of episodes. It looks like you always draw the short straw and get the pure sufferfests though... How has that project been for you? For the majority of those lines we did together, there was always a caveat that likely, it was going to be one of the longest days of your life and the approach would have some level of ridiculousness to it. But at the end of the day, it all lends to the elusiveness of certain lines that always makes it worth it. In addition to riding with Cody and Bjarne, what personal projects have you been working on in the past 12 months? I’ve been working on a film with Patagonia from our expedition to Papsura, India this past spring. It’s called the “Peak of Evil.” This will be likely my proudest project to date and I’m excited to release it to the world. We’re slated to start premiering it in December and the online release will be in January 25. I was also involved in a French film project called “The Octopus”, from my time in Chamonix with Pica Herry and crew. Additionally I’m a part of a short film with Austin Sweetin coming out called “Hogs on the Horizon.” I also recently signed with United Shapes snowboards which is also really exciting. Sounds like you've had plenty on the plate. What are your goals for the coming season? A magician never reveals their secrets. Haha well we look forward to the show. What about in the longer term. What are your future goals in snowboarding and how would you describe your style of riding? To continue exploring my backyard of the Sierra Nevada and beyond, stay healthy and share the love of snowboarding with others. I’d say my riding style is a blend between low stress pow riding in the forest and intentional movement into the alpine. Well Nick, we look forward to following along and seeing all the incredible places you end up this season and beyond! Thanks for taking the time to chat and we’re stoked to have you on the team! Bring on the good times ahead. Yew! Thanks guys! Can't wait. ABOUT NICK RUSSELL Age: 36 Hometown: Truckee, Ca Home Resort: Sierra Nevada backcountry Nationality: USA Sponsors: Lé Bent, Patagonia, United Shapes, Anon Optics, Backcountry Access, Deeluxe boots, Pomoca skins, Spark bindings Favourite Lé Bent gear: Any of the light cushion snow socks! Follow Nick here: @nick_russelll
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The Western Faces 50 - Rohan Kennedy's Quest To Ski Iconic Aussie Lines
Longtime Le Bent ambassador and backcountry aficionado Rohan Kennedy has been living in Jindabyne since 2007 and skiing the Australian Main Range since 2012. Now a backcountry guide for SMBC after spending 10 years in ski patrol, Rohan practically lives on the Main Range during the winter and spring months. Rohan helped guide Cody Townsend, Elyse Saugstad and the Le Bent team out along the Western Faces back in 2019 and has been inspired by Cody to complete a kind of 'Aussie Fifty Project', drawing inspiration from an incredible local book and our answer to Cody's muse, 'The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America.' The below was written by Rohan. THE WESTERN FACES 50 WITH ALAN ANDREWS' SKIING THE WESTERN FACES OF KOSCIUSKO By Rohan Kennedy If there’s one book that stands out as the ultimate guide to the NSW Main Range backcountry, it’s Alan Andrews’, “Skiing the Western Faces Kosciusko.” Published in 1993, this book has been described by many as the definitive guide for skiing this remarkable area, and I couldn’t agree more. Alan Andrews poured his love for the Kosciusko region into this book, combining decades of experience with a unique approach. His guide is more than just a collection of routes; it’s a blend of poems, hand-drawn maps, and detailed information covering 14 sections of the Main Range from Dead Horse Gap to Mount Tate. I first bought this book over ten years ago, and since then, it has been my source of inspiration for planning and dreaming about backcountry ski tours. The notes and photos in its pages have guided me to discover 40 ski lines, and I’ve added another 10 lines myself that represent some of the steepest challenges the range has to offer — lines that Alan himself envisioned might one day be skied. Having watched Cody Townsend's 'The Fifty' series and having had the pleasure of guiding him while he was here in Australia, I was inspired to undertake a similar project in our own mountains, to shine a light onto the great skiing we have here and bring this personal challenge to life. With snow falling and more in the forecast, I’m excited to continue this journey and see if I can complete my list of 50 lines. I’ll be sharing updates and stories from the slopes along the way as I work towards my goal. View of Watsons Crags South Face from Sentinel Summit. Below is the full list with names of lines taken from the book or names of lines that I have heard most about from the area. 1. Strzelecki Creek2. Little Austria3. Avalanche Alley4. Townsend West Spur5. Anderson Crags6. Friars Alp 7. Watson Creek8. Siren Song Creek9. Kosciuszko 10. South Rams Head area 11. Cleft Rock Run12. Golden Gully13. The Spur 14. The Couloir15. The Corrie16. Twin Humps17. Abbotts18. Byatts Camp19. Muellers Peak20. The Racecourse 21. Ians Gully22. The Alice Rawson23. Twynam North Spur24. Triple A25. The Scimitar26. Goes Forever27. The Awesome Spur28. Walters Gully29. Ant Ridge.30. Avalanche Gully 31. Avalanche Face32. Tenison Woods North Face33. Carruthers West Spur34. Middle Gully35. Erics Funnel36. Carruthers Variant37. Sentinel SE Face38. Sentinel SW Face39. Sentinel N Face40. Sunshine Chutes 41. Watsons Crags North Face42. Dog Leg43. Waterfall44. Crags Hidden Line45. Club Lake46. Blue Lake47. Twin Valleys48. Tate E Face49. 11 Highest Peaks Traverse50. Jagungal You can follow Rohan Kennedy on Instagram for updates on the project as he hopes to tick off a number of lines each week!
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LÉ BENT WELCOMES KAI JONES TO THE TEAM
When Kai was 11 years old his segment for TGR went viral and racked up 6 million views. That year he also won the North American Junior Freeride Series. He was nominated for Rider of the Year at IF3 Film Festival at 14 years old, and again a year later. Now at age 17, Kai has been a mainstay in TGR’s last five films, and earned the right to be called a legitimate “prodigy”. Kai is leading the charge for the next generation of groms that jump off things, while also managing to be a favorite amongst the older guard. We caught up with Kai in between cork 7’s and massive cliff drops, to welcome him to the team and find out what makes him tick. LB: Hey Kai, welcome to the Lé Bent pro team!!! How has your season been going so far? My season has been good. Little slower than normal because of my injury. Super stoked to be back on snow and progressing. So, you’re 17 years old — and probably sick of people mentioning how young you are — what are your goals for the next few years and where do you want to take your skiing? I am super hyped to keep pushing my limits and bringing more freestyle into the big mountains. You’ve been described as a “skiing prodigy”, “Mayor of Stomptown” and “grom pied piper” how’s that feel and what’s it like inspiring the next generation of groms your age and younger? One of my biggest goals in skiing is to inspire people and it makes me so stoked to see the next generation taking inspo from me. For those who don’t know, you sustained a season-ending injury, breaking both your tibia tubercle’s in March last year. We followed your rehab and were super impressed by how much work you were putting in to getting your body right. How was that recovery experience and how was your return to snow this season? My recovery has been going super good. I spent the last 9 months training hard to get back to my sport. As I am writing this I still have work to go but every day I am getting closer and closer to being 100 percent. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kai Jones (@kaijonesski) You’ve been in 5 Teton Gravity Research Films already. Who are some of the skiers you grew up watching and looking up to? Some skier's that I grew up watching are Tim D, Sammy C, Nick McNutt, Shane M, Eric Roner, Thall, Sage C, Ian Mac, Candied Thovex, Henrrik, and way more ahah! Have you got a favourite movie part of theirs or a favourite TGR film that you always go back to? My favorite movie part is Tim Durtschi's My Way of Life segment or Nick McNutts' Almost Ablaze segment. A lot of young skiers and snowboarders start off in freestyle and transition into the backcountry after years of competition and events. What motivated you to make backcountry skiing your main focus from the get-go? We dont have alot of parks back home so I grew up learning tricks and skiing in the backcountry. It was natural for me to move into freeride because of the mountain I grew up skiing on (JHMR). Any interest in taking your skills to the Freeride World Tour — you’d probably have to forgo some powder days though! Only time will tell... We have both Cody Townsend and Sammy Carlson on the team holding it down in the BC, how would you compare your style of riding to these guys and have you followed their careers at all? Cody and Sammy are some of my favorite skiers. My style is more similar to sammy but I love to get out in the big mountains like Cody and ski mountaineer. So, are you reaching for the Cody Pro Series or the Sammy Pro Series in your sock drawer? I personally like Sammy's socks with their light padding which suits my riding. SAMMY CARLSON PRO SERIES SNOW SOCK SHOP SAMMY SOCK What features would you include in your own Pro Series Snow Sock? Just in case we’re cooking something up over here ;) I want to include padding to protect from shin bang - something I experience in my style of riding with big landings. Lé Bent already does such a good job innovating new technology in socks to help prevent issues like this, so i’m looking forward to providing my own feedback. GET EARLY ACCESS TO THE KAI SOCK! What other Lé Bent gear have you been enjoying this season? I have been loving the Pramecou Wool Insulated Hooded Jacket! What’s the plan for the rest of the season? I hope to keep skiing good snow in Jackson, go to AK, and ski mountaineer back home. Well Kai, we look forward to following along and seeing all the incredible content you put out! Thanks for taking the time to chat and we’re stoked to have you on the team! Bring on the good times ahead. Yew! Cheers guys, can’t wait! ABOUT KAI JONES Age: 17 Hometown: Victor ID Home Resort: Jackson Hole Nationality: USA Sponsors: Red Bull, Dakine, Atomic, Teton Gravity Research, Lé Bent Favourite Lé Bent gear: Sammy Carlson Pro Series Snow Sock Follow Kai here: @kaijonesski
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Watch: Here, Hold My Kid
LÉ BENT was proud to be a supporting partner of pro team rider Elyse Saugstad's recent project — Here, Hold My Kid! Elyse teamed up with pro skier and fellow super mum Jackie Paaso to make what they describe as, "an homage to all the parents who have dragged their kids to the mountains." “Any parent knows that traveling with a one-year-old can be a nightmare." Said Jackie. "Seeing that Elyse and I like a challenge we thought, why not make it two one-year-olds traveling around the world while starring in and producing our own film? Challenge accepted, and while there may not have been any blood, there was a lot of sweat and tears!” “Jackie and I didn’t want to hide from being new moms as professional athletes, but rather throw a spotlight on trying to blend the two life endeavors. What ensued was lots of laughter, some great skiing, and the undervalued talent of still getting our kids to bed on time." Said Elyse. After sharing the hilarious trailer a few months back. You can now check out the entire 38 minute, offbeat documentary for free on Redbull TV. Watch Here
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BOA Ski Boots - What Are They & Do They Fit Better?
We exist to keep you in the moment with our luxuriously soft snow socks, and therefore we stay up to date with the latest in ski boot technology. So, what’s the fuss about BOA ski boots? We take a look at BOA and modern bootfitting.
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The Fifty Project - Watch Season 5 Here
LÉ BENT is proud to be an official sponsor of Cody Townsend's FIFTY Project — a herculean quest to ski ‘The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America.’ As Cody's sock, base layer and headwear and accessories partner we've been along for the ride since day one, and develop products with Cody's direct skin-track-feedback. “There is no getting around the complete punishment your feet go through on tours for the Fifty," said Cody. "You’re gonna get them wet, sweaty and cold at times. But minimizing those impacts with better materials and innovations like the heel grip strips on the Pro Series Sock I made with Lé Bent helps you get through the day.” Shop the Cody Pro Series Snow Sock Watch the latest episode below: One unsung item that Cody has worn up and down all of his Fifty lines, is the Men's Core Lightweight Crew Base Layer. "Layering is everything because one of the most important aspects of big backcountry missions is temperature management," said Cody. “I’ve found with base layers, the combo of wool and synthetic, like the Lé Bent Merino Wool & Bamboo Rayon blend provides a perfect blend of maintaining warmth and being dry” Check out Cody's bonus guide to layering from Season 3 of The FIFTY below.
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HERE, HOLD MY KID - OFFICIAL TRAILER
LÉ BENT team rider Elyse Saugstad has teamed up with pro skier and fellow super mum Jackie Paaso to make what is likely to be the most hilarious and heartfelt ski movie of the season — Here, hold my kid! Elyse previously teamed up with fellow team rider Cody Townsend to create the aforementioned kid, and this film talks about the thrills and spills of balancing professional skiing and motherhood. “Jackie and I didn’t want to hide from being new moms as professional athletes, but rather throw a spotlight on trying to blend the two life endeavors," said Elyse. "What ensued was lots of laughter, some great skiing, and the undervalued talent of still getting our kids to bed on time.” Check out the official trailer below! Shop the Elyse Pro Series Snow Sock
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