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Blue Ribbon

PABST BLUE RIBBON CUSTOM SKIS LIMITED EDITION BY MSC

Is is karma?  Is it fate?  Does Ullr have a special place in his heart for PBR drinkers?  We’re not really sure but serendipitously we are now working with PBR to create a limited edition line of custom skis for PBR.   That’s right….custom MT Ski Co designed PBR skis.  Our special run of PBR skis (nicknamed the Pabst Backcountry Rippers) are designed to be light weight and quick for tight tree stashes and chutes yet stiff enough to handle aggressive high speed turns on open faces.  PBR will be rolling out TEXT to WIN programs at select retailers as well as drawings and give-away drawings at your favorite ski town watering holes.  For more information visit Pabst Blue Ribbon on the ol’ interwebs or keep in touch via Facecrack.

Now that’s more like it!

La Nina finally arrives

After a dismal beginning to winter (Canadians hold your tongue please) we are stoked that winter has finally arrived.  The tip of the storm rolled through Monday and there was nearly 2 feet of cold smoke on the north facing slopes of Big Mountain [read: Sick Day].  We’ll be traveling around the state to sample the goods at Bridger Bowl, Big Sky, Discovery Basin and others so let’s hope the snow keeps falling.  If we see you on the road we’ll have a cold PBR and celebrate an awesome day of skiing.  Here is to the late arrival of that bitch La Nina and to all those powder hounds who didn’t give up the dream that 2012 could still be an epic snow year.  Cheers!

Twas the Night

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the zone
Not a ski bum was hiking, not even on Lone.
The ski socks were hung by the wood stove with care,
In hopes that deep powder soon would be there.

The nuggets were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of pillow lines danced in their heads.
And hottie in her ‘kerchief, and I in my beanie,
Had just fired the grill for brews and a weenie.
When out on the porch there arose such a clatter,
The couch surfer sprang up see what was the matter.
Away to the window he flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and spilled his chron stash.

The moon on the carpet of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of bluebird to pockets below.
When what to his bloodshot eyes should appear,
But a huge fatty sled, and eight massive reindeer.

With a crusty old driver, yet lively and quick,
He knew in a moment “Whoa bro, that dude is SICK!”
More rapid than Bode his rippers they came,
And he whistled, and bellowed, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the mountain! To the top of the headwall!
Now slash away! Slash away! Slash away all!”

As dry leaves that smoke before the powder does fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, huck huge to the sky.
So up to the A-Frame the rippers they flew,
With the sled full of toys, and that gnarly dude too.

And then, in a twinkling, we heard on the roof
The pounding and pawing of each mega hoof.
As we drew in our heads, and were turning around,
Down the chimney the jolly Dude came with a bound.

He was dressed super steezy, from his dome to his foot,
Yet his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had in a sack,
He looked like Patrol, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples were merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose totally cherry!
His stoke was quite epic, his pants hung quite low,
And the beard on his face was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a gi-normous belly,
That rocked the house as he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was massive but plump, like Buddy The Elf,
And broski cheezed out in spite of himself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Told us he was irie like the most natty dread.

He spoke not a curse word, but got straight to his work,
And crammed all the ski socks, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his digits aside of his beak,
And giving a nod, rose straight up to the peak!

He sprang to his sled, to his team gave a yammer,
And away they all flew like he was dropping the hammer.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he launched out of sight,
“Happy Ski Season to all, and to all a good-night!”

Opening Day Ode

An ode is described as “an elaborately structured poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally.”  We’d like to think that opening day is pure emotion.

The Ultimate Ski Bum?

Craig "Snow" Moore - 48 Months Consecutive Skiing

The Ultimate Ski Bum? At the moment, our good friend Craig “Snow” Moore is one of ten finalists in The Powder Highway Ultimate Ski Bum Blow Your Mind Contest (That sure is a reeeel mooothful eh?!)  Considering he has skied 48 consecutive months (mostly by hiking in Glacier Park like a deranged billy goat) we at MSC believe that Craig would make an excellent representative and therefore winner of this prestigious — and totally rad — contest.  Oh, and he’s a professional photographer, blogger, and total skiing dirtbag.  As Charlie would say “WINNING!”  Go to the link and vote for your favorite ski bum.  May the best bum win.

Fresh Tracks and Fiberglass

Cutting fiberglass for 178cm Skookoleels

With La Nina kicking in a bit earlier than expected a few hills in the region cranked up the lifts sooner than expected.  We took a break from the white shreds of fiberglass and snowing sawdust to do some shredding of Mother Nature’s goodness.   Thanks to a last minute text update from our “inside man” we dodged the opening day crowds at Lookout Pass along the Montana/Idaho border and headed to 49 Degrees North in Northeastern Washington.  To our stoke filled surprise we found Chewela Peak covered in 30+” of fresh powder bliss and zero lift line.  There was a lot of risky early season off piste poaching and definitely a few close calls with some dead-fall in the “Peacemaker” trees, but it was well worth the gamble.  We’re looking forward to schralping Angel Peak when we return later in the season.

Safety First

The Northern Rockies Avalanche Safety Workshop is right around the corner.  Check out the website and get yourself signed up!

5 of North America’s prominent avalanche professionals will present practical avalanche safety information and research to those attending the workshop.  For our guest speakers, NRASW offers an opportunity to share avalanche safety information that is based on years of experience working in avalanche conditions.  For those attending it is a time to learn about the current state of the avalanche industry, practically based avalanche safety skills, and meet new (and old) friends with a common goal- staying safe in avalanche prone terrain.

This is the first time a workshop like this has been offered in the Flathead Valley. We are excited to have this opportunity to come together in the name of improving avalanche safety for all that would like to attend!

On behalf of the NRASW Steering Committee and the NRASW guest speakers, please join us to make this a successful event. It promises to be very educational and fun for all attending.

Balance and Options

We have been working hard throughout the fall and winter to dial in our process and make a number of new designs, sizes, and shapes available.  In fact we now have more than a dozen new options spanning the gap from 75cm kids skis to 202cm rockered big mountain skis.  The bottom line is that we can create a ski for whatever style of riding you need in just about any size you can dream up.  Here’s a couple of our new flagship skis that we are ultra stoked on…

We introduced a new couple new prototypes a just 2 weeks ago (codename Super Soldier and Tatonka).  The dimensions of the original Soldier were beefed up from tip to tail allow for more flotation off piste (132-93-116).  We also added early rise in the tip and tail to allow for easier turn initiation and tail butters through the trees (or in the park).   We mounted the Super Soldiers with new 22 Designs Hammerhead bindings and they (not surprisingly) turned out to be a ripping all mountain telemark ski.  The Tatonka ski is, as the name might suggest, a burly big mountain ski designed for ripping big wide open turns.  We brought both the Super Soldiers and the Tatonkas to Big Sky last week for some testing off the tram on Lone Mountain and our ski tester was quoted as saying “wow dude…these fattys are tasty indeed!”  Both pair are currently only available at the 180+ length but we can make any ski a reality so drop us a line and we’ll figure out the perfect set-up for you.

Decemberisms

December was a great month….let’s recap shall we?  Epic snow?  Check.  Hanging with skiing’s top pros?  Check.  Making some awesome new custom skis?  Check.  Having one hell of an awesome holiday week ripping up the slopes?  Check.

All in all it was  a pretty good end to the year and we’d like to thank a few individuals for making the 12th month so damn good.  We would like to thank Chris Davenport, Cody Townsend and Kim Havell for joining us at the Whitefish Mountain Films event this past December.  It was a great event with excellent film and photography showcasing the mountain lifestyle and unbelievable skiing.  Big props’ to Greg Franson of Bluebird Guides and all the lovely ladies at Outside Media (Amy, Hilary, Sammie…you know you rock!) for bringing us all together.  If you have a chance I highly recommend that you check out Dav’s film Australis and Cody’s new project The Way I See It — you will not be disappointed, I promise.

As I look out the window I see some fat flakes falling on the trees while my phone is beeps with the texts of friends already fired up to rip the heavy overnight snowfall.  Looks like 2011 is going to be pretty damn good too.

Cinching it up in the Little Belt Mountains

Of the 16 ski resorts (I use the term “resort” extremely loosely) in Montana there are few that rival Showdown.  I’m not talking about epic lines, awesome nightlife, or high speed quads…I’m talking old school Montana skiing.  It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like time travel is possible.  Pleasantville meets Ski School meets Deadwood.   If I had to sum it up in a word?  Classic.

The two towns that sit just down the canyon from Showdown are Neihart and Monarch.  These old mining towns still have prospectors holding court at the local watering hole.  I’m not kidding, they still prospect and even pan for gold on occasion.  The ski hill itself has been in operation since the 1930′s when some skiing pioneers founded the Great Falls Ski Club.  I can only imagine what the drive was like back then — it’s about an hour and half now.

There aren’t many pretensions at Showdown.  The rental shop is in an old A-frame that looks as old as the mountain itself (see picture above).  The breakfast special is called the Miner, the drink special is coffee (until noon), and everyone is on a first name basis, including the owner.  George has owned and operated Showdown since God bequethed it to him on the sixth day, or so it seems anyway.  Old George is a bit of a  curmudgeony fellow but he runs a tight ship.  He might be bellowing instructions to the staff one minute and then serving you hot coffee with a smile the next.

The skiing at Showdown is also free of pretension and the lack of posers is pretty refreshing.  Porphory peak provides some solid vertical and with an elevation a little over 8,000 ft there’s always a fair amount of snow.  Every time I visit it’s either a bluebird day or a powder day and on a few occasions it’s been both.  I won’t spray about awesome pillow drops or perfectly spaced tree lines; I’ll leave it to you check out the action yourself.   Oh, and if you’re in the area make sure to stop by the Cub’s Den or the Lazy Doe for a frosty pint and a few stories, I gaurantee a classic moment will occur.