Stories
PAINT BY POWDER - LEXI DOWDALL'S QUEST TO PAINT ALL UTAH SKI RESORTS
Guest blog by Ambassador/Team Painter Lexi Dowdall Like many of you, 2020 hijacked most of my big plans and goals the moment mid-March steamrolled in. I had committed to skiing each of the 15 ski resorts in Utah. I was on my 7th resort when we all retreated into lockdowns of unknown duration. My employment in the ski industry, helping to organize and facilitate nearly 100 Freeride competitions for skiers and snowboarders in the USA and Canada, ground to a halt. I had no work and nothing to keep me occupied during what would normally be the most intense period of my season, culminating in 3 championship events in April. Ten months of planning and logistics. Gone. Within three days, everything was cancellations and... crickets.I didn’t know what to do with the sudden closure of my favorite ski areas and I suddenly had more time on my hands than I’d had in years. I began a 15 day sketching challenge. This turned into a 100 day watercolor challenge. I suddenly had the time and energy to invest in myself and my hobbies, so I went for it. In December 2020, I launched an art website, www.kapowder.com, alongside a new goal. To visit and paint each ski resort in Utah. I picked one of my favorite resorts to start: Alta Ski Area. In 2020 I had randomly collected and saved some powder snow from Alta underneath a gleaming full moon following a particularly memorable storm cycle. I thought how fun it would be to use this mason jar of water in my watercolor painting of Alta. I thought it would better capture the essence and magic of what we locals call “Alta Magic.” While painting Alta with my snowmelt, I contemplated how much skiing means to me and the vital role the winter landscape of Utah and our snowpack plays in my own life. So many of my peers and friends actually depend on snowfall for their jobs and livelihoods too. Winter and skiing and snowboarding is integral to our well-being, our mental health, our very identity. Any deep thoughts about winter are always accompanied by a deeper twinge of fear. The ever-present threat of climate change. The natural response is to feel helpless and to pretend it’s not happening. I know I do. Lexi collecting some snow another kind of way... Photo: Jeff Bartlett Science tells us: The last five years were the hottest on record and carbon dioxide emission levels have surpassed historic levels— the climate is warming. Years with low snow totals negatively impact the economy in Utah and beyond. In Utah alone, the ski industry brings in $1.7 billion and creates over 20,000 jobs. The global impact is difficult to calculate or even fathom... Warmer temperatures will and have adversely affected the quality and depth of the snow in many regions. Brian McInerney, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Salt Lake City, Utah anticipates that the Wasatch Range (where I’ve lived and played my whole life) will be snow free by 2100. Well over 500 inches (1300cm) of snowfall blankets the Wasatch in an average year. All of this snow could be rainfall in 80 years. All of this is so scary. Even typing that sentence above makes me want to puke. The simplest thing to do is to give up or ignore the facts. However, it’s vital to remember the importance and power of collective change. If we all make small changes, we can make a difference in this fight against climate change. Join me. By painting each of the 15 ski resorts in Utah with meltwater collected from each mountain, I want to bring awareness and inspire action around the changes we must all make to fight climate change. Five percent of all proceeds from my Paint by Powder prints will be donated to Protect our Winters. Help me spread the word. Making even a small change is empowering and builds momentum. Here are some simple and effective steps you can take to save our snow. - Carpool to the ski hill or ride public transit. - Work remotely when possible and combine errands into one trip to use your car less. - Bike to grab groceries or run errands near home. - Buy and consume less meat. - Use your ski or shred gear till it’s throttled. If your gear still has life, donate it to a worthy organization. Here in the US there are awesome orgs like the Chill Foundation or Share Winter that bring low income children to local hills for ski and snowboard lessons. Many mountains have adaptive skiing or snowboarding programs that can reuse outerwear, gloves, goggles, etc. - If you’re not using a light--shut it off. If it’s on and you’re not using it, you’re wasting energy and pumping carbon needlessly into the air. This one is so simple! Turn off outdoor lights at night. Switch to higher efficiency light bulbs. I only run large loads of laundry 1x per week and when it’s warm, I air dry my clothes outside. My power bill is typically under $30 a month because I am vigilant with my electricity use. - When buying household items that come in plastic, purchase in bulk or the largest containers you can find. For example, I buy jumbo shampoo, laundry detergent, dish soap, body wash, cleaning supplies etc. in the largest container I can find to cut down on plastic consumption, shipping and transportation of the products, and my own shopping trips to buy them. - Look for and support brands that do not use plastic packaging. For example, save up some money and buy a metal razor. Use toothpaste tablets that come in a glass jar. A little research goes a long way here and it’s rewarding to slowly switch your household products over to more responsible options which often cost the same or less than conventional products. This isn’t an overnight process, it’s a journey. I just found a subscription service for bamboo toilet paper that uses NO plastic - WIN! - When travelling, don’t use or steal the hotel shampoo! This one was really hard for me. I am a recovering hotel shampoo kleptomaniac. I now use refillable bottles from home and leave the complementary stuff behind because it creates SO much plastic waste. In a hotel room, there are typically 2-3 garbage cans. Just use one and reduce your plastic bag wastage by 50-66%! See how quickly that tiny little choices and actions can all add up to using drastically less resources? - Consider cancelling your Amazon Prime account. It’s just stuff. Do you really need all that stuff? Does it actually make you happy? I know that’s a big one…and it may not be feasible for some households. But do think about it… - The stuff that makes me happiest isn’t stuff at all! It is experiences, time with friends or my cat, investing in a hobby, listening to music, talking to a loved one...you get the gist. Try one change, then try another. I’ve found that as I improve in one area I’m keen to try another challenge and then tell my friends and peers about it. Be an inspiration and example to others and our positive impact multiplies exponentially! I hope to see you out there on the slopes and may we all work a little harder to safeguard the winter sports that make us feel alive. Winter is worth it. More snow banks like this please. Photo: Jeff Bartlett
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ONE WORD: PANCAKES
Ok, time to try something different. We usually find ourselves in conversation with our community about feats in the outdoors or high in the hills, but when pro team member Lucy Bartholomew told us we could give mum something more than just socks for Mother’s Day we jumped at the idea! Although it comes without question that socks always become the staple gift, don’t you think it’s nice to add a little something special?… especially if it comes in the form of our favourite dish of all time. Now, the term ‘cooking’ comes very loosely to us. It's a means to fend off hangry rants more so than a tasty platter, and when put into practice, we find ourselves laying claim to the word ‘gourmet’ any time our camp kitchen experiments take on more than 3 ingredients. But one thing we do know is that we can seek out the source of a good smelling dish from a mile-off and when Lucy told us she’d been more productive during her lockdown than an office octopus, we had to refrain from eating every delicious, healthy raw ingredient before it was combined. We caught up for a chat and even included her secret recipe so you can cook up a storm while in this Covid shituation (nope, that wasn’t a misspell). Hey Lucy, great to catch up for virtual hangs. How have you been going with the crazy times of late? I’ve been good! It’s been strange to really slow down and halt some selects go life but also jump into the fast lane with some projects I’ve been wanting to do for a while and getting a good groove on some high training. Ebb and flow though-some days are easier than others. Where were you before all this went down and where have you been hiding out? I was lucky to have some early year missions to New Zealand for the Tarawera 100km and a trip to the Himalayas for a camp and exploring so I certainly got to exhaust my body and excite my mind before life hit the brakes. Pursuing greener pastures before the downtime. Pic: @andrew_fawcett We’re seeing plenty of stories coming out of how folks have been picking up new habits while staying at home. What have you found yourself up to? Something I’ve been really wanting to do was write a cook book. It’s been a fun project and definitely kept me busy, and full! Can’t say I have learnt a tik tok dance routine, but I am learning what goes into a book- and I have a lot of admiration for them all now! As one of the world’s most decorated women’s ultra-marathon runners, diet and intake would be at the top of the list outside of the training programs you’re on. How do you manage this? I chose to follow a plant-based diet which makes me feel, perform and recover at my best. I really just try to be intuitive and smart about what I eat, when I eat and why I eat foods. I always try to include a rainbow of colours, I have no problem on portion sizes and drinking plenty of water along the way too. Isolation?... or happy place? Pic: @andrew_fawcett Our mouths are watering at the thought of the wondrous creations we’re sure you’ve been working on. What’s are your favourites? If I was to be stuck on an island with one food it would be oats. I use them a lot in waffles, pancakes, cookies, smoothie bowls, bliss balls... I think they make up the most of my mass. I can’t go past a stack of pancakes or waffles where you can go wild on the toppings and it feels so abundant and delicious. Any trips to the kitchen for us generally involve a bowl of Frosted Flakes or a pack of Mi Goreng and we recently learned what the difference between a spork and a spade is. Do you have any tips for the first-time chef? Just like anything new; start small, gain confidence. Take it step by step. Enjoy the process and don’t focus too much on the outcome. My dad is a great example who used to burn water but now has turned into quite the cook when I’m away (when I come back, suddenly he loses the talent). Ok, we’re all set to don the apron and give this a whirl. How else can we learn about these delicious and healthy recipes you’re creating? I’m hoping to release this cook by the middle of 2020 (we’re nearly there) so that will be the easiest and best presented way to follow along with the recipes. Otherwise my Instagram feed and stories is usually either running or eating! Well Lucy, we’re so damn pleased to get the time to hang out and get an insight into what you’ve been up to. We really hope to see you in person soon, whether it be on the trail or in the kitchen. Thanks for keeping us company! Mother’s Day Pancakes 3 cups oat flour** (makes 8 small pancakes - don’t forget your dad, siblings and yourself too) 1cup almond milk 2tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon Bunch of fresh Strawberries, sliced + your toppings! Here with: yoghurt, more strawberries, walnuts, coconut, tahini! **If you need to make oat flour. It’s easy. Blitz 3cups or raw rolled oats in a blender on high for 1min until a fine consistency! Done! Step 1. In a bowl mix together all ingredients until well combined. If it’s a little thick add some extra almond milk or water splash by splash Step 2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place spoonful of the mixture into the pan in your ideal size Step 3. Place a few slices of the fresh strawberries into the mixture Step 4. Let cool for 2-3 min and then flip Step 5. Let cook for another 2-3min Step 6. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining mixture Step 7. Stack your pancakes and go wild on your favourite toppings! Step 8. Become the favourite child. - Bon Appétit! - Lucy
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LE BENT SKIER ISAAC FREELAND IS 2020 FREERIDE WORLD TOUR MEN’S CHAMPION!
Freeride World Tour rookie and Le Bent athlete Isaac Freeland took the tour by storm this season with consistent runs, strong line selection and a bag of tricks that saw him end up on top of the men’s ski field with one final event remaining in Verbier, Switzerland. While a decision was made to conclude the tour early and the Bec des Rosse face would not be skied on account of Covid-19 and burgeoning government lockdowns, a silver lining was our boy Isaac walked away with the world championship and rookie of the year title! As much as everyone would have loved to see the guys and gals throw down in Verbier – Isaac included – congratulations are in order! Isaac bagged an 11th at the first event in Kicking Horse, BC, before really kicking into gear with a 5th in Hakuba, Japan, followed up by back to back 2nd place finishes in Fieberbrunn, Austria and Ordino Alcalís, Andorra. Check out the 2020 recap and some of Isaac’s sends below. If you find yourself with some free time these coming weeks – you can rewatch all the events at Freerideworldtour.com. Isaac (middle) before the Kicking Horse event in BC. Isaac's wearing our Heather Gray Lightweight Balaclava. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Isaac mid run/mid air at Kicking Horse. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Isaac wasn’t the only team rider on the circuit this year. Skier Andrew Pollard, off the back of winning the 2019 rookie of the year award rounded out the Men’s podium in 3rd. Andrew Pollard sending one at Kicking Horse where he grabbed 3rd. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Congratulations also to snowboarder Blake Hamm who finished 7th overall with a 3rd place result in Ordino Alcalís, Andorra, and to Emma Patterson who competed in the ski women’s event for the first time. See below for the full statement from the Freeride World Tour on the decision to cancel the final event. Statement From FWT: Following the current situation concerning COVID-19, the Grande Finale of the Freeride World Tour 2020 and all Qualifier and Junior events have been cancelled. Due to COVID-19 and the new measures put in place by the Swiss government today, we are sorry to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Verbier Xtreme, as well as all Junior and Qualifier events. The situation surrounding COVID-19 is evolving rapidly, and the priority of the Freeride World Tour before everything else is to insure the health and safety of its fans, athletes, team and their peers. The World Champions will be discerned from the current 2020 season rankings which will remain as they currently stand. We would like to thank all of the athletes, fans, and staff for this incredible season.
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SAFE AS Avalanche Clinics Championed by One of Le Bent’s Best – Elyse Saugstad
Avalanche safety championed by one of our best
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LE BENT WELCOMES ELYSE SAUGSTAD TO THE FAMILY
ELYSE SAUGSTAD – WELCOME INTERVIEW It was obvious to us Elyse Saugstad belonged on Le Bent's team. Not because her husband Cody Townsend’s a bona fide le family member, but because of the way she skis… she bloody rips! And that’s putting it lightly. A third-generation Alaskan, it’s unsurprising most of Elyse’s award-winning ski segments feature a spine line that’ll blow your mind. Freeskier Magazine’s “2018 Female Skier of the Year” came down under this season with Cody to sample some of our antipodean offerings and while we didn’t ski much in the way of spines, we skied plenty of pow and struggled to keep up with Elyse and dozens of Thredbo groms as they darted amongst the snow gums. We also had the pleasure of getting Elyse in some more of our gear, knowing she’d been in Cody’s Le Send sock since its inception. We thought we’d officially invite her to join the team. We caught up with Elyse to discuss her skiing, her time in Australia and to welcome her as the newest member of the Le Bent family. LB: Hey Elyse, thanks for taking the time and welcome (officially) to the team! Thanks, I’m thrilled I’m joining forces with Le Bent! So, how’ve you been since visiting us down under? Still tucking into the vegemite and VB’s? Ha, vegemite is just too much for my taste buds. I gave it another shot on this last trip to Aus and quickly reminded myself that I am not a fan. In all seriousness though, what did you think of Aus? You’d been before but how did you find the skiing down under? Australia is an F-ing amazing country and visiting again rekindled the love I had previously developed for it. Cody Townsend and I totally scored with the storm of the winter, which made for a fabulous experience. The mountains may not be as big and steep as they are in Alaska, but the terrain is playful and ultimately really fun. There are so many ways to be entertained on skis that it was impossible not to have a good time! Of course, you visited with Cody to help put the finishing touches on his Le Send sock. What did you think when Cody first started to work on that? I thought it was a great idea. As an athlete sometimes the brands we work with are so large that they are not interested in our feedback and ideas, and for us athletes that can be a bit of a bummer as we put so much time into what we do and really know what works and doesn’t in regards to our gear. So when Cody was approached by Le Bent and they gave him carte blanche to design the best backcountry sock possible it became the perfect pairing, so to speak, between the two. I got to test the socks all last winter, and as good as they are I found they could use a few tweaks specific for the ladies. Whereas Cody lives on the skin track these days, you’re the one jumping out of helis and putting together the adrenaline pumping, show stopping segments. Congrats on taking out IF3’s “Best Female Freeride Performance” for your part in Winterland! We went to the premiere in Sydney and your part was definitely a crowd favourite. How does that segment compare to some of your others like All Us? Thanks for the props! My segment for Winterland was essentially building upon what I’ve accomplished previously in my career. Not in the sense of the actual skiing as my segment in Winterland is not above and beyond my past few years of ski segments with TGR and MSP, but I’ve finally got a bit of traction going from my filming over the last few years and received the offer to join TGR on their highly coveted, marquee, big-budget Alaska trip. I was viewed as someone that could perform in big terrain and be worthy to film. There’s so much money, production and logistics going into a trip like that you understandably have to prove beforehand that you deserve to be there. Getting this opportunity was something I’ve worked towards my entire career so it was quite special. It’s not always serious shredding with you and Cody though is it? For example, ‘It’s called backcountry skiing’ and the recent Mica Heliskiing vid… How important is not taking yourself too seriously and having a bit of fun with the video parts too? Yes, even though the skiing portion of those edits were still full on, intense days filled with pressure to get the shots (it’s work!) Cody and I feel that we ski because it’s fun, and in the grand scheme of things it shouldn’t be taken too seriously. We are really lucky to call skiing our jobs. Plus, audiences don’t need to be reminded of work as skiing is an escape for them. It’s all about perception - so why bother getting your panties in a wad when you can choose to just enjoy the moment. When you visited, we skied with a bunch of groms from the Thredbo Mountain Academy and we know a lot of the girls loved getting a chance to ski with you and ask questions. What words of wisdom do you normally tell young girls and boys about being a professional skier? There’s lots I’ve learned over the years of being a professional skier so really it’s almost too broad of a question. That being said, I think that the underlying need to becoming a professional skier is having a ridiculous amount of passion for the sport. If you have the passion it will carry you through the lows you’ll surely experience as well as it will inspire you to continually work hard during the highs so you don’t become stagnant. Speaking of words of wisdom, what would you like to see from us at Le Bent? Complete and utter domination of the outdoor world’s sock industry! Other than the Le Send sock what other gear of ours would we find you in? The neck gaiters are all time. They’re soft, breathable and warm. My face is the most sensitive spot on my body so the products that I use for it need to be the best quality possible. While you obviously managed some riding in the Southern Hemisphere with us, your northern hemi season is about to kick off. Can you tell us much about your plans for this season? Chase powder and scare myself a little. Film trips usually don’t emerge until the snow starts flying and locations start taking shape, but there has been talk of filming in BC. I imagine it’ll be in the cards as the terrain and snowfall are consistently some of the best in the world. Awesome, best of luck with those projects and we’re looking forward to seeing you in Le Bent. Yewwww. Thanks! Stoked to be a new addition to the family. ABOUT ELYSE SAUGSTAD Age: Young enough to send’er and old enough to know I need to be discretionary about it Hometown: Tahoe City, California, USA Home Resort: Alyeska Resort, Alaska, USA Nationality: USA Sponsors: Blizzard/Tecnica, Orage, Scott, Alyeska Resort, Hestra, Arcade, Ortovox Favourite Le Bent gear: Le Send Backcountry Sock Follow Elyse here: Instagram
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"BEST START TO THE SEASON I’VE EVER SEEN"
1st of June, 2019 is looking more like the 1st of August! Photo essay within... If you follow skiing and snowboarding in Australia you’ve probably come across @australian_backcountry. Not necessarily experienced it for yourself – the backcountry that is – but seen its embodiment through the images produced by the man behind the social handle – Jake Sims. Jake comes on board this season as a Le Bent ambassador and the only thing more exciting is the fact this season is shaping up to be one for the books. Indeed the official snow depth measured by the folks from the Snowy Hydro Scheme up at Spencers Creek on Tuesday, June 4th measured 71.3cm... the most snow this early in the season since 73.8cm on June 1st, 2000. But we don’t need to take The Snowy Hydro’s word for it! A bona fide expert on BC conditions as his Instagram handle suggests, according to Jake, it’s the “best start to the season I’ve ever seen.” THE WESTERN FACES AND A FRESH WINTER COAT. Just a few days ago, on the first day of June 2019 – Jake and a crew of keen backcountry sliders headed out to the western faces of Kosciuszko National Park. They gave the crowds at Perisher and Mt Buller a miss – despite the resorts opening to the public a week before usual. There was a different kind of skiing now open to the public, but it required more work than purchasing a lift ticket and offered a whole heap more vertical relief. Alongside Jake was his friends Erryn Reeder (blue jacket) and Trent Shaddock (black jacket). The trio started their tour at 4am and returned to their homes in Canberra at 9:30pm. NOT YOUR TYPICAL APPROACH TO BURLY BACKCOUNTRY LINES. In total, they covered over 40km's, with about 32km's of that on splitboards. We asked Jake how much vert he thought they’d covered? He laughed. “Not sure on vert, don’t want to think about it haha.” “We rode from Perisher, so 8km up and 8km back. Followed the snow plough the whole way up. The road was closed so had to take bikes. There were contractors stuck at Charlotte Pass so they were clearing the road to get them out.” ERRYN REEDER PASSING THROUGH A SNOWED-IN SPENCER’S ON HIS WAY TO THE TOP OF AUSTRALIA. “The ride was pretty sketchy, fun times trying to navigate black ice with a head torch in pitch black at 630pm.” Jake and the crew got some of the first turns of the season back in May but says the difference in cover was “night and day”. “May was more just the novelty of getting out there after the first fall, lots of rocks, lots of ice and we had to keep that in mind when riding. The latest tour was almost like mid-winter, the cover was great, snow was great and you could ride hard for some fun turns.” Kosciusko received upwards of 90cm of snowfall in a little over a week and it shows. “Usually [you expect] cover like this after the second or third snowfall, maybe late June early July depending on the year." Said Jake. "Conditions were great, some of the best snow I’ve ridden in our backcountry. The snow in the "elevator" chute at Club Lake was the best I’ve ever ridden there, lots of stoke after that run.” The crew also had the pick of the litter out there in terms of busyness. A far cry from the 2000+ people that converged on Mt Buller for the resort’s early opening. “There were a few people out there getting amongst it but they were coming from Guthega. So glad we didn't have to do the bracken bash from Guth, it's horrendous this time of year. When we arrived at Carruthers we had the whole area to ourselves.” Said Jake. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU CAN MAKE OUT THE FIRST TRACKS OF 2019 DOWN THE FAMED ‘SENTINEL’ ... BUT THEY’RE NOT JAKES! When asked who the culprit was? Jake said the man responsible was, “a solo warrior called John.” “What a line it was, he smashed it! When we came over the rise and we saw it we were like, ‘whoever dropped that had the run of the day!’” Follow Jake Sims on Instagram for more photos like these and mountain wisdom like the line he left us with at the end of our interview… “Any day in the backcountry is better than a day at work.” Photos: Jake Sims Words: Matt Wiseman
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