Stories
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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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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LÉ BENT WELCOMES MICHELE GRAGLIA TO THE TEAM
Michele Graglia competes in the gnarliest running races on the planet. When he’s not competing against others, he’s setting records and racing himself. To that end, he’s set Guinness World Records for running across the Atacama Desert in Chile (600 miles in 8 days) and after that, the Gobi Desert in Mongolia (1100 miles in 23 days). Mickey won the Yukon Arctic Ultra in temperatures below -40°C (-40°F), and he won the Badwater 135 in Death Valley, with temperatures above 54°C (130°F), making him the first person in history to win both the hottest and coldest foot races on the planet. It would be an incredible feat for someone who had cut their teeth — or rather, their feet — on trails from a young age. So it’s even more impressive given the fact Mickey was more familiar with runways than running as a former top fashion model and only took up trail running at 27 years old. INTRODUCING THE MICKEY GRAGLIA PRO SERIESZERO CUSHION 3/4 CREW TRAIL SOCK SHOP NOW We caught up with Mickey to officially welcome him to the Lé Bent team and figure out how he keeps putting one foot in front of the other. LB: Hey Michele, what’s up! We’re stoked to finally be able to share with the world that you’ve joined the Lé Bent trail team. Welcome!! MG: I really appreciate and super excited to join the Team! I'm looking forward to see what we can achieve together! We almost didn’t know where to stop when it came to listing your achievements above. We reckon you’d be hard pressed to find a more impressive ultramarathon resume than yours. There are so many to choose from but can you tell us which race or races in particular have left a lasting impression on you? I always found the most extreme races to be the most memorable. It's never really about the results for me and I love the challenge of course though the one thing that truly keeps me going back for more is the opportunity to connect with the most pristine, untouched and raw side of Nature. The senses are heightened and when I feel the most alive. Following these thoughts, and to answer your question, Tor des Geants, this September!! It is the hardest ultra trail race in the world: 330km through the most rugged trails in the Italian Alps. In addition to the many races you’ve competed in, you’ve also achieved a number of solo world records and FKT’s. How do these projects come about and how do they differ from racing for you? I love both racing and explorations as they all allow to stretch our boundaries and grow, although I found personal expeditions to offer a much deeper and personal experience. When the competition is removed they become unique opportunities to truly connect with oneself, to feel completely submerged in the experienced and fully present in the moment. Now, help us settle an office bet. Was it harder to run across the Atacama Desert or the Gobi Desert? Not just by distance but the Gobi was a way greater challenge than the Atacama.The Mongolian desert is ruthless and only gave hard blows. Facing strong, gutsy, incessant winds for days on end through a seemingly endless vast steppe.We went from desert dunes to high mountain passes and temperatures that could range daily between -10C to +40C. It was by far the hardest challenge I have faced up until then. We’ve got a fair few deserts here in Australia. Maybe we’ll have to get you down under to see how they stack up! It is a life dream of mine to cross Australia! I have always been fascinated and cannot quite honestly wait to start planning the crossing! Now running across deserts is a far cry from strolling down a runway. What drew you to trail running and made you leave what we can only imagine was a pretty cushy lifestyle as a top fashion model? Modelling began as my American Dream though the perks of that fast lifestyle soon showed their ugly side. While being at the top I had fallen to the bottom. I felt disconnected, lost and alone. During the most critical time in my life, I discovered trail and ultra running. Running through Nature showed me a new way of life. A new perspective. As cliche as it may sound, running did save my life and became an opportunity to reconnect with myself at the deepest level. You’ve developed a reputation as someone who can handle any environment, terrain and temperature. Did this happen naturally or did you seek out events with completely opposite temperatures like the Yukon Arctic Ultra and Badwater? I was drawn to them in a very primal and simple way. I wanted to feel for myself the power of the most extreme sides of Nature. There are some similarities with Lé Bent there as far as, cold and hot, snow and sand. What attracted you to Le Bent? The outstanding quality of the products! How have you enjoyed running in our Signature Merino Blend socks? I certainly love how comfy and soft they are! Also, I felt like the "wrap around" perfectly fits and supports the arch and the ankle too. I love them and keep them on all day, running or chilling. The breathability is an outstanding asset too as I can go for hours on end with perfectly dry feet! How valuable is something like a fresh pair of socks when you’re running for over three weeks straight as you did in Mongolia? Keeping the feet happy in long traverses is fundamental and a fresh pair always rewards you with a sense of renewed energy and light feel! Most valuable! Which characteristics of your new sock do you like the most? This sock is exceptionally breathable and ideal for long distance endeavours where you need to keep your feet dry. The merino blend fabric offers amazing comfort and the arch wrap around gives optimal support and stability. So, what else can we look forward to from you this year? I am going to run the Lavaredo Ultra Trail at the end of June, part of the UTMB circuit. In September I am going to face the Tor des Geants, in Valle D'Aosta, in the heart of the Italian Alps. I am then running the Gran Sasso, OneHundred World Series Final in October. I also have a couple of expedition options for the end of the year, but that's still a secret. ;) ABOUT MICHELE Age: 38 Hometown: Sanremo, Italy Nationality: Italian / American Sponsors: Le Bent, TransPerfect, LaSportiva, Garmin, SaltStick, ShPlus, Vespa, NW Curve Favourite Le Bent gear: the Terra Ultra Light 3/4 Crew Trail Socks or the shorter Ultra Light Mini Trail Socks. Follow Michele here: Instagram SHOP THE NEW MICHELE GRAGLIA PRO SERIES SOCK HERE
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Parkin Costain’s Not So ‘Off-Season’ - Building A Bike Park
No matter the season, team rider Parkin Costain is a hard man to catch up with. We don’t mean to say he’s too busy for us, we just mean it’s physically, very, very difficult to catch up with the bloke because he’s so damn fast. Whether he’s on skis or a bike, if you don’t have a sizeable head start, you’re not keeping up. So, when we finally did catch up with him, we picked his brains to see whether we should start calling him a bike ambassador instead of a snow ambassador. Like for much of our team (and product designers) the allure of a narrow trail and a few well-placed berms still beckons, regardless of whether it’s coloured white or brown. Something to mind ride. A little hero dirt and some well placed berms at Legacy Bike Park. Pic cred: @mitch_montana95 LB: Hey Parkin, good to catch up with you! What have you been up to this summer? We'd say 'off-season' but it doesn't seem like you've dialled down the adrenaline at all and you've been busy building the trails too? Hey team! Yeah, you could say summers are still my off-season but I’m definitely not taking a break or backing off the adrenaline, just a few months not strapped into skis! This summer was super busy! Straight out of AK last April I made my way back to Montana where I started up with my summer gig, building MTB trails for my pops company Terraflow Trail Systems. A lifelong passion of his which over the last 12 years has blossomed into a healthy career. This summer was something special though. He and a few buddies who are also avid MTN bikers partnered up and focused all their energy on creating a badass public bike park. Parkin boosting in said badass bike park. He'd call it necessary product testing. Pic cred: @mitch_montana95 Sounds epic. How does biking compare to skiing for you these days? Have you always done both? I absolutely love biking. It’s pretty close to just as fun as skiing for me, especially with the kind of riding I do. I’ve always been drawn to the bigger mountains. Recently I went on a trip to Virgin, Utah and put together my first MTB edit with Benshi Creative. That terrain felt so similar to what I ski in the winter that I kept having flashbacks. HODGEPODGE ft. Parkin Costain from Benshi Creative. I’ve always done both, I learned to ski at two and took the training wheels off the bike around the same time. My parents were both ski bums and my pops was the MTN Biker so growing up it’s all my brother and I knew. Do you think it helps your riding when you have such a hand in building the trails and jumps? I imagine you have a much better understanding for the flow required. Definitely! Anytime I head to a new park or somewhere I haven’t built it takes a few laps to start feeling comfortable. But at Legacy it’s a totally different experience, especially after building most of the line yourself. You stare at transitions and walk the trail for months on end. Parkin's definitely not afraid to get his hands (and socks dirty) and take some of the heavier machinery for a spin in the process. Pic cred: @mitch_montana95 You just keep replaying the features you’ve built over and over in head until you’re done... I’ve never had a more satisfying experience than lacing Forty (our biggest jump trail) first lap ever. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LÉ BENT (@lebent_) Epic, so how did Legacy Bike Park start? How long did the build take you guys? Legacy Bike Park is Terraflow Trails latest creation. The idea was first sparked last August. A family friend had just visited a few well known bike parks up in Canada. He was high on life as he drove back to the states and ended up giving my dad a call. They talked for a bit and basically said, “if they can do it why can’t we?” They became business partners and it was full speed ahead from that point on. They found the right piece of property, bought the land and started two trails all before the snow arrived last fall. Then, this Spring the entire crew was all hands-on deck laying down service roads, campsites, pit toilets, a base area and a bunch of new trails before our public opening day July 15th. It was an absolute mission to get it done but it was worth it in the end. The last week of construction was intense, a couple of our guys worked until 2AM operating with lights on the machine to get it all done in time. I was focused on our double black jump trail called ‘Forty’ and a pump track in the base area. I’ve been digging for Terraflow since I was 10. What little boys aren’t obsessed with excavators? It all started with a pump track in my families backyard and has slowly escalated to getting time on some of our biggest machines building whatever my mind can dream up. I’ve had the most fun with Ninja Marmot in Big Sky and Forty at Legacy. Sounds unreal! How many trails are there in total then and how have they been received by the public up there? We’ve got 13 trails that were finished for this season. Everything from green flow to double black and tech trails there’s something for everyone. Also, since passes are capped at 80 per day we’re never too busy - just enough to make a few new friends. Everyone gets a ride to the top on one of our two 25 capacity shuttles with Huckwagon bike trailers and then it's all downhill from there. The public has spread the word so quickly! We couldn’t be more stoked for our first season of operation. Really looking forward to watching this place continue to grow. No doubt. Are you even thinking about skiing if you’re having so much fun in the dirt? When do you think you'll switch gears and turn your attention to snow? My mind is definitely shifting towards the winter months. I’ve had a few brisk early mornings already and I couldn’t be more stoked. Excited to ride the bike this fall and then will be itching to find some pow turns! Obviously you started wearing our threads during the winter months and we know you’re a big fan of the Sammy Sock and 200gm crew baselayer, but what’s your go-to for Summer? For sure. All summer I’ve been loving the Bike Ultra Light Mini Sock. It’s a great fit and comfortable from daily life to the long MTB ride. I normally pair it with the 200 Logo Tee, never knew how much I needed a breathable merino T-Shirt. I kept a couple of both stashed in my truck this spring for the multi day stints building at Legacy. Awesome. Yeah, the merino blend in the tees means you can get away without washing them for a heck of a long time. No doubt you’ve pushed the odour suppression to the limits shovelling away all day at Legacy! All photos courtesy of @mitch_montana95
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LE BENT WELCOMES MICHAELA DAVIS-MEEHAN TO THE FAMILY
MICHAELA DAVIS-MEEHAN – WELCOME INTERVIEW Michaela Davis Meehan is officially the number two women’s snowboard freerider in the world right now. If you know her, and if you’ve seen her ride, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The surprising part is, she’s also Australian. Like much of the skiing and boarding that went down in the northern hemisphere in the early months of 2020, the Freeride World Tour ended rather unceremoniously. When the dust settled after the announcement that the final event in Verbier had to be cancelled in light of the soon to be Covid-19 pandemic, the standings at the time solidified into the finishing places, so Michaela took the no. 2 spot. Michaela was sitting pretty with consistent results all season and dare we say was set to peak at the final event. A fifth in Kicking horse was followed by a second-place finish in Hakuba, a second-place finish in Fieberbrunn Austria and most recently a first-place finish in Ordino Arcalís Andorra. In fact, this first place made history as Michaela was the first Australian to take the gold at a FWT event!! Out of all disciplines, snowboard, ski, men and women! A competition season like no other, was naturally followed by an off-season like no other and Michaela barely got on snow, despite living down under throughout winter. Instead, she shut up shop and was subjected to one of the harshest lockdowns in the world at the time in Melbourne, Victoria. Despite spending more time in our trail socks this year than our snow socks, we’re stoked to welcome Michaela to the team. We’d been watching her performance on tour like many Aussies and knew it was a partnership waiting to happen. Below, we pick her brains about another wild and unprecedented competition season and find out how she’s been staying ready for the steeps. Michaela probably eyeing off her next line. Pic cred: Oliver Godbold Michaela letting it run somewhere in Europe. Pic cred: Andrew Mazzocato LB: Hey Michaela! It’s been a hectic few months and we’ve done plenty of back and forths’ regarding getting you in the threads and especially whether it’s to be summer or winter threads on the menu! How have you been? Hey hey! I've been doing really good thanks! Now that lockdown has lifted, I'm just about to head off on another camping trip! Good to hear! Before we backtrack and ask how you spent the Aussie winter season, we have to ask what’s the latest regarding the Freeride World Tour this season? We’ve heard plenty of murmurings that it’ll run in some capacity? At this point in time, it is going ahead! With the Japan and Canada stops cancelled, it will just be a Euro tour this season. The FWT are working hard to make it happen. Of course, with things changing so frequently it's a tough one to plan for and no one will 100% know until we are hiking up ready to drop in for the first event! No kidding, so are you trying to get over to Europe for it? You’d have to be one of the only Aussies travelling for a snow season if so! That must be pretty surreal?! Yeah, it's all pretty crazy! I've only just booked my flights and am out of here this week to Switzerland!! I'll ride there until the first stop of the FWT on the 22nd Feb in Andorra. That is wild! We'll definitely be vicariously riding through you then this season! How ready are you physically to get back on the steeps? We’re guessing you haven’t had much time off when it comes to training right? I kept at it over lockdown, working out at the park and lots of bike riding! If anything, lockdown was great for my training, as there wasn't much else to do! haha And as far as on-snow prep goes, did you get any Aussie riding in at all this season? The terrible season we had made me feel a lot better about not getting up there! I did manage to squeeze in 2 days of hiking at Hotham in between lockdowns though! For an Aussie, Michaela sure is comfortable in the steeper and deeper stuff. Pic cred: Andrew Mazzocato Aside from training how else have you stayed busy this season? Our other Victorian legend Lucy Bartholomew dove into the deep end of a cookbook. Is cooking your jam or have you another hobby you’ve been able to hone? Sounds yumm! I didn't dive into the cook books but I did pick up a whole bunch of new hobbies. It started off super lazy when I first came back to Aus from Switzerland in quarantine. It involved A lot of Netflix and learning to play the Ukulele! After that I started volunteering at the local community centre with their fresh food program, I started and now just completed a diploma in film and television, got myself a slackline (which is super fun) and did a bunch of bike riding to explore the 5km radius we were allowed to go to as I just moved to a new state when I arrived back in Aus. I definitely made the best of the situation, all of that kept me pretty sane and busy! Glad to hear it! Thanks a bunch for taking the time to catch up with us and we can’t wait to see you competing, whenever that is! Cheers guys!!! Fingers crossed it's 2021! :) Here's to more turns like this in 2021. Pic cred: Andrew Mazzocato ABOUT MICHAELA Age: Old enough...to party! Hometown: Newcastle Home Resort: Perisher Nationality: Australian Sponsors: Le Bent, The North Face, NFPD Brand, Twelve Board Store, SunGod, SunButter Ambassador Favourite Le Bent gear: It's all good!! But absolutely loving the Women's Boy Shorts! A girls gotta have comfy undies! Follow Michaela here: Instagram
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WHAT'S COOKING WITH LUCY BARTHOLOMEW? - Q&A
What does an ultrarunner do when only allowed outside for 1 hour of exercise per day? That’s barely enough time to get a light warm-up in, let alone delete a few dozen kilometres of trail! But Lucy Bartholomew put this not-so hypothetical to the test these last few months under a Victorian Covid lockdown. What did she discover? Well, when life gives Lucy lemons, she makes lemonade! …and a bunch of other tasty treats, all of which can be found in her brand-new cookbook! Wait what?! Lucy in the kitchen of the athlete house before the Western States 100mile run, 2019. Photo: Max Romey/Salomon Running Hey Luc! It’s been a wild few months since we last caught up for a chat. How have you been managing life in Victoria with all the restrictions due to Covid? Hello! Time seems to be going slowly yet also speedy this year! Lockdown life feels like déjà vu but it’s not all that bad with my dad and puppy as company, small projects to keep me entertained and training it feels like rise, run, rinse, refuel, repeat is my days and i have enjoyed the simplicity of that. Have you found that you’ve been able to adapt your routine considering the amount of time you normally spend on the trail? I have, and at first I tried to fight it and didn’t like being ‘stuck’ somewhere and told what I can and can’t do but once I embraced it, it has added a new flavour to training and another surge of motivation which is really cool. The change in pace seems to have paid off with you being able to focus energy on your awesome new cookbook. Congratulations on the release! Did the extra time at home help you add the title ‘author’ to your already impressive CV? Thank you! Yes! This cookbook has been 4-5 years in the making as I have always had a bank of recipes and been asked so many times to put them all together but with the less training and lots of time in one place and with a kitchen I made it my focus. I was very lucky to have it keeping me busy (and full!) There are too many delicious plates to pick from in here and it’s hard not to drool on my notepad as I write this question… I’m sure you find it just as hard to pick, but do you have any favourites or regular go-to recipes? I feel quite the same but for me the simple recipes of smoothie bowls and granola have always been in my life and made me smile. What I like most about the recipes in the book is that one recipe can turn into 3-4 others with leftovers. That was something I really wanted was to give life to recipes time and time again. Our crew is always inspired by the efforts you put into healthy living and eating. What would you say your motivations are to maintain a healthy diet? I know that I feel best when i eat well and for sure it affects my training and lifestyle I try to lead as an athlete. It doesn’t really feel like effort to me and I think when people see the recipes, they start to understand that it really can be quite simple! A cross-section of the healthy delicacies you can expect to find in Lucy's book. Did this help inspire you to share your delicious creations with the world? Certainly. I feel very lucky to have spare time in my day to slice my apples finely and fan them around the edge of my smoothie bowl but I wanted to share that that’s not the important thing and you can share the same meals simple, sustainably and also quite cheaply! We’re loving the new cookbook and it’s stepped up the game from our ‘dummies guide to cooking’. Where can one pick up the new book? At the moment is available as an ebook on my website here: https://www.lucybartholomew.com/store/Sustain-Cookbook-eBook-p239835029 The plan is to try and have some hard copies for Christmas but there is no guarantees! As the life’s become more localised and events have been cancelled or postponed, have you any new goals you’re working towards? Any more new titles you’ll be adding to your resume? (Don’t feel you need to answer this if you don’t want to) This time has definitely opened my eyes to learning more and expanding more on the things that make me passionate. I want to work more on the environment and spreading understanding and awareness of this! I also have some fun projects that will capture my home land of Australia rather than just pinning to get on metal bird so quickly. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to catch up and share your journey over the past few months. Can’t wait to catch you out on the trails once the boarders open back up! (just add a closing statement here if you like) Thanks team. It’s been quite the ride but I know that it’s just getting started and controlling the things you can control is what I chose to focus on- like what you eat! Lucy getting out of the kitchen for her allotted exercise. With meals and trails like hers you'll also be feeling excellent. Photo: Lucy Bartholomew Download Lucy's E-Book HERE Check out the collaborative designed Le Lucy sock HERE
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BEHIND THE SCENES OF #LESENDDOWNUNDER WITH CODY TOWNSEND
This time last year we were getting ready to welcome Cody Townsend and Elyse Saugstad on the tarmac at Sydney Airport. Since we're a far cry away from that happening this year, we thought we'd look back on what ended up being one of the best weeks of snow Australia has seen in years. Particularly our day riding with the resident groms of Thredbo resort. Why rider's of such esteem as Cody Townsend (2019 Powder Poll male skier of the year) and Elyse Saugstad (2019 Powder Poll female skier of the year (second place)) would grace the Australian alps was a question on a lot of peoples minds. Well, we invited - or rather goaded - Cody and Elyse to come down under and sample some 'real skiing'. The 'best mountains in the world' we said, and they took the bait. Cody Townsend finding a home among the gum trees out the back of Thredbo Resort. While best mountains in the world may have been a stretch, they sure got the best powder of anywhere in the world during their week here. Photo: Matt Wiseman Cody dipping his toe into his signature Le Send sock, the catalyst for his trip down under. Photo: Jake McBride From skinning over sheet ice up to the top of Kozi on the first day of #lesenddownunder to 120cm falling in the next three days, the duo sampled all Australia had to offer, and then some, while putting the world's first backcountry sock - the Le Send - through its final round of product testing. "I figured it would be a bit like the East Coast, US." said Cody. "Small mountains, a little bit of snow here and there. But we don't see many photos of Australian skiing in the US , so I didn't really know. We showed up, and were like 'yeah, smaller mountains, not that much snow...' And then, when we got so much snow, I was blown away by how fun the mountain was. There's little terrain hits everywhere. We ended up skiing with the Thredbo Mountain Academy kids, and blasting off every little thing in sight. I was like, "this is honestly more fun than some of the places I've skied back East because of the terrain and playful features. It was a blast." Thredbo Mountain Academy meeting Cody and Elyse. Photo: Matt Wiseman Scoping out some hits. Safe to say froth levels were through the roof and one of the biggest culprits was Cody himself. Photo: Matt Wiseman Post pole whack, pre team send. Photo: Jake McBride Cody and Elyse gave a Q&A and talked about the perks and perils of pro skiing after the Mountain Academy kids showed them the ins and outs of Thredbo. A hot topic was avalanche safety in Oz and upskilling in the mountains. Photo: Matt Wiseman After shredding with the groms all day, Cody then sat down with longtime Thredbo local and editor of Chillfactor Magazine Reggae Elliss to talk all things skiing, socks and what he thought of the terrain down under. When asked by Reggae how he had come to join the Le Bent bandwagon, he said, "It was funny, I got an email out of the blue from Simon (Le Bent co-founder) and I've gotten tonnes of emails from small companies... It's hard for them to ask and it's hard for me because product doesn't pay my bills. But I liked something about what they were doing. So I said hey, I will join the team if you make this particular sock. "I've got this idea for the sock. I've had it in my head for a number of years and no one will make it." I had been telling people, telling other companies, please make this ski touring specific sock. So Le Bent did. I was in." Since then, Le Bent's been working on a second generation Le Send sock with Cody. Elyse has also officially joined the program and has a women's specific Le Send sock set to hit stores and the skin track later this year... so keep your eyes peeled. You can catch the full interview between Cody and Reggae below! To read it in print head to https://www.chillfactor.com Chillfactor Podcast · Cody Townsend Podcast
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LE BENT WELCOMES DARCY KELLER TO THE FAMILY
DARCY KELLER – WELCOME INTERVIEW Darcy Keller has been on the scene for a while now, starring in some of the best independent snowboarding webisodes in the biz. It’s no mean feat to throw down such impressive lines and produce the footage to match on a relative shoe string budget in the far reaches of British Columbia, so naturally we wanted to be involved. Darcy’s our first snowboard addition to the Le Bent CA Team, and about as core as they come, so we sat down with Darcy from Donald to pick his brains and see what he has cooking. LB: Hey Darcy, thanks for chatting with us, how’ve you been man? No sweat. Thanks for bringing me on board! I’ve been really good. I’m just coming off a really good winter season here at home in BC. We had what seemed like endless snowfall and I felt strong and healthy all winter. LB: Is BC where you're hunkering down right now? Yeah, I’m just at home in Donald, BC, which is roughly 25 kms outside of Golden to the North West. I usually spend a lot of time around the house at this time of year, generally just waiting for sunny days, so this hasn’t been all that different from my normal. LB: Heck of a season in BC where you call home these days, not to mention the more than abrupt ending to the snow season in light of Covid-19. What had you been up to before the pandemic came and rained on everyone’s pow parade? This year I had an opportunity to film with a bigger budget project than I had been in the past. My friend Dustin Craven is arguably one of the best pillow riders in the world and last fall he asked me to be a part of the production that he was putting together. We spent January through I guess half of March back and forth between my place in Donald here and his place in Revelstoke. Our main focus was riding pillows and natural terrain. Definitely a bummer that our season was cut short but everyone is in the same position. I feel like we’ll still have an enjoyable movie to watch. It’ll be coming out in the fall. We’re calling it Oh Boy. I hope that people like it. I feel like I had one of the best winters of my life, regardless of missing out on potentially a month of filming time due to this pandemic. Darcy atop a pretty juicy looking pillow line. Pic cred: Dustin Craven LB: Epic! We'll be stinging to watch some pillow shredding after so long in lockdown. Will we predominantly find you in the backcountry then? What sort of terrain really tickles your fancy out there? I prefer the backcountry yeah. Come to think of it, I think I clocked less than 5 ski hill days this year. I like riding pillows a lot, anything natural really. Just more time strapped in and actually boarding. I feel like we only built a couple jumps this winter. In my opinion if it takes more than 20 minutes to set up for a shot it takes too much time away from the riding. LB: For sure! Are you a split board or sled guy then? Word on the street is you put more than a few days per year on the latter… I’m not opposed to either, but I genuinely love sledding and I sled a lot, quite often upwards of 80 days a winter. That said, I sled to snowboard. I always take my snowboard when I go out and very seldom do I go and not end up riding. It does happen sometimes, you get skunked on your objective or plans, or sometimes it is so deep out there you end up sledding all day just to put the trails in so you can then snowboard the following day. I understand that there’s a big battle between sled access versus touring access. I’ve had lots of people give me a hard time about how much time and how many days I spend on the sled regarding my carbon footprint and all. I try to justify it by not flying anywhere. I don’t go on exotic trips anywhere, nor do I have any plans or interest in it. I’ve also only spent 2 days ever heli skiing. Maybe sledding isn’t sustainable. But for now thats what I do and it seems like my best option to do what I want to accomplish in the back country. I would love to purchase an electric sled some day but the technology is just not there yet for them to be reliable and/or have the range that we need to access where we want to go. The view from the steeds. Pic cred: Darcy LB: Is snowboarding a full-time thing for you then or do you supplement all the shredding with some, dare we say, ‘real’ work during the off-season? In the winter snowboarding has always been my full-time passion and commitment. I’ve always worked in the summer, sometimes as little as a few months, sometimes I’ll do six months. I usually quit work no later than December 1st. I operate heavy equipment. Lately I’ve been doing highway construction in the summers. I was fortunate enough to work for a guy when I was younger who gave me a chance to learn how to run all different kinds of machines. I prefer excavators but I’m proficient in dozers, skid steers, graders…almost anything you’d see on a highway or mining job. LB: Right on. We can't imagine the excitement come December 1st! Since getting into some, what Le Bent products have you particularly enjoyed? I’ve been really impressed with everything I’ve received so far! If I had to narrow it down to one item though I’d have to say I like how soft Le Balaclava is on my face. LB: So, what can we – and the folks reading along – expect next from you? I personally don’t know what any of us can expect at the moment… I wish I had a better answer for you. I do know that you’ll be able to see our work from this winter in Oh Boy coming out online next fall. Hopefully by then the world will be back on it’s feet and we can potentially get after making a follow up video. Pillows, pillows and more pillows. Pic cred: Timmy Nelson ABOUT DARCY KELLER Age: Let's say old enough to have experience, young enough to give'r hell. Hometown: Grew up in Battleford, Saskatchewan. Now call Donald, BC home. Home Resort: The backcountry of the Purcell and Selkirk Mountain ranges. Nationality: Canadian Sponsors: Le Bent, Nitro, Country Eyewear, RudeBoys Shop Favourite Le Bent gear: Le Balaclava 200 Lightweight Follow Darcy here: Instagram
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RIDER PROFILE – EMMA PATTERSON – GOING FULL SEND ON THE FREERIDE WORLD TOUR
EMMA PATTERSON - INTERVIEW Emma Patterson emerged onto our radar when she won the 2019 ISFA FWQ North American Championship in Kirkwood, after dominating events in Revelstoke, Crested Butte, Taos Ski Valley and Kirkwood. Her next stop was of course the Freeride World Tour, the pinnacle of competitive freeride skiing and a dream of hers since she began jumping of rocks with skis strapped to her feet at the age of four. Now at just 23 years of age and with a season competing on the FWT under her belt, we caught up with Emma to review what was both a tumultuous season for her – as well as everyone else on the tour in light of Covid-19. Emma pointing em straight on the FWT. Pic cred: Freeride World Tour LB: Hey Emma, thanks for taking the time to speak with us – although if you’re anything like us with all the lockdown craziness happening – time inside is not in short supply! Absolutely! Glad to talk with you all. It’s a good time to stay connected… from a distance of course. :) LB: So where in the world are you right now? I’m currently with my family in my hometown of Taos, New Mexico. I was lucky enough to get back from Europe before things got too crazy, but I’ve been in self-quarantine now for two weeks. We live on farm here, so we’ve been preparing to plant as soon as the weather warms up. I’m also a competitive ultramarathon runner, so running in circles around our property has been key to maintaining a sort of sanity. Even with all of my spring races being cancelled and ski season coming to an abrupt halt I think it’s super important to keep moving, even if it’s only 15 minutes of stretching on my living room floor. Reading and music have been some key activities too, all while daydreaming of creamy powder days! LB: It must be a shock to have gone from constant travel throughout the season to such a sudden standstill! How did you find all the international FWT travel? Absolutely! It’s been tough going from scrambling all over the world for two months with a big crew of people to a complete stand-still in 24 hours. I’ve travelled a ton prior to the tour, but it was completely different travelling for it. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to do it with, though. This season was nothing less than radical, despite it being so short. LB: It was your first year on the FWT – coming off the back of a stellar qualifying year – what did you expect going into the world tour? Honestly, I was simply happy to have made it as far as I did. I was afraid going into Hakuba, Japan (the first stop) that my skiing wouldn’t be up to par with everyone. I definitely perform better when I don’t have any expectations of myself, so I decided I would go ski a line I was really excited for. The one expectation I had for the season was to just be me: ski the way I ski, ski what I want to ski, and smile the entire time. LB: How did those expectations compare to the real deal? Expectations were exceeded, by a lot. I did exactly what I wanted to do: I looked at each face and found the areas that looked most exciting to me. Choosing different lines down those faces was a dream come true. Unfortunately, I got unlucky in three of four of my runs. This season I fell approximately three times… all during my comp runs. Funny, right? I really wouldn’t have changed a thing. My lines were insanely fun, and I really did smile the entire time apart from a few moments of bumming post-crash(es). Emma inspecting one of her favourite faces in Kicking Horse, BC. Pic cred: Jeremy Bernard/FWT LB: You’d previously told us, despite the crashes, that you wouldn’t change a thing in hindsight and we love that ‘go big or go home’ attitude. Your tomahawk at the first stop in Hakuba is one for the books, talk us through that. Hakuba was the first stop, and my first time ever visually inspecting a face. During inspection day, I planned a very chill run with three small hits. I was planning on skiing it fast and showing my racer background. I had my line the night before, slept on it, and woke up on comp day with that plan and on a mission to complete it. I rode up on the gondola by myself that morning and played some of my favourite music. Headspace plays a huge role in performance for me, so my morning chill time is quite important. That morning was magical. First light was a cool yellow, lighting up all of Hakuba Valley and its majestic peaks. The first snowboarder dropped, and he entered the zone we called “the horseshoe.” I turned to my dad and said “that looks insanely fun. I’m doing that.” He pulled out my binoculars, I looked at my entrance and exit for approximately two minutes, and began my hike to the start gate. I wasn’t super nervous by any means, but I was really excited to go ski that line. Clicking into my skis, putting my GoPro on my helmet, and making sure the right song was playing, I took a deep breath and one more look at the peaks surrounding and the dreamy face I was about to ski. I came out of the start feeling really good, then I hit some nasty snow and got a little nervous. I slowed down for a second, and then remembered the bottom section and told myself to just get there. The snow was beautiful. Flying through it like a dream, I got to the blind section and pointed ‘em. I saw my landing, and stomped it. I took a deep breath, stoked on what I had done, and went to take a turn… nope. Snow snakes were on the prowl. I was able to keep my arms in to protect my neck, thank goodness. That was definitely the nastiest tommy I’ve ever had. I think crashing was out of my hands, unless I had been a few inches to the left or right of where I was. Really, I wouldn’t change a thing. That was FUN! This is what Emma calls FUN... it's also a pretty good metaphor for what happened to the 2020 ski season in light of Covid19. LB: Did you have a favourite venue / mountain / country to compete in on the tour? And moreover, a favourite line you put down? Every competition was different. Hakuba didn’t have the best snow conditions, but I hadn’t been to Japan yet. Seeing the culture was absolutely one for the books. Kicking Horse, British Columbia has been one of my favourite mountains since I first competed there on the Freeride World Qualifiers. The best part about being there was shredding hard every day on some of my favourite terrain with some of my favourite people! Andorra was one of the coolest countries, too. The trails there were absolutely breathtaking (literally – quite steep!!). The snow was far from great during our first four days there, so we got after the trail adventures instead. Some storms hit for our last two days there, and dang we made some fun turns. The competition conditions were all-time. Being a little person and going first in the field wasn’t to my advantage, though. I literally disappeared in all of the snow on one of my landings. It would’ve been awesome had I not been competing! Fieberbrunn was, too, simply unreal. The Austrian Alps will always have my heart. The venue, Wildseeloder, was hands down the best venue all season. Beautiful snow conditions, steep chutes, and some dang fun airs! LB: Although we’re sad we won’t be able to watch you send again on the FWT next season, it was awesome to watch you tackle some of the burlier lines and drops and give it your all. What’s next as far as competing goes, is the goal to get back on tour? I am definitely bummed to have gotten so unlucky as far as crashing goes. I’d like to get back on tour eventually, but right now I’m finishing up my Master’s in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah. As far as skiing goes this winter, I’ll be putting together some filming projects and tackling some bigger lines across the states that have been dreams of mine for years! Stay tuned for those! Something tells us we haven't seen the last of Emma on the FWT. Here she is doing some sluff management down the face in Fieberbrunn. Pic cred: Jeremy Bernard/FWT LB: Until then, how are you keeping occupied? We’re guessing like everywhere else your home mountain, Taos Ski Valley, has shut up shop as part of lockdown procedures? Yep, ski season has come to an abrupt stop here in Taos. It’s been extremely tempting to go touring, but I think it’s imperative to keep medical services for those in need right now. I’ve been laying low at home and running a ton on neighbourhood roads and trails. Honestly, I’ve been reminiscing on this season for two weeks straight… just like we all have! LB: We’ve been wearing our ski socks around the house to keep the dream alive… Have you got a favourite piece of le bent kit? Oh yeah! I’ve basically been living in my women’s Le Base 200 bottoms with a sweater and my Le Lucy Trail socks. They’ve been awesome for running, too. I hate taking them off, but I promise I’ve been washing them… just reluctantly. :P LB: Ha ha! We've been known to sleep in le baselayers from time to time so definitely know the feeling! Thanks for chatting with us and once again congratulations on such an epic season of sending! Thanks to you guys! I really couldn’t be more stoked to have had such a rad season on Tour, and I can’t wait for what next season will bring. For now, it’s time for reflection. I know we’re all go-getters, but slowing down is healthy and now is the best opportunity for some true R&R. Enjoy it, breath, and bake some banana bread! :) ABOUT EMMA PATTERSON Age: 23 Hometown: Taos, New Mexico, USA Home Resort: Taos Ski Valley, USA Nationality: USA Sponsors: Le Bent, Salomon, Flylow Gear, Douchebags, Taos Ski Valley Favourite Le Bent gear: Le Lucy Ultra Light Trailrunning Sock Follow Emma here: Instagram
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