The marketing department wanted me to promote Copper Mountain’s Spring Special. They told me it was a big deal, so I dug deep into my attractive mind cave and came up with something big. So, traveling people, check out “The Deal.” www.nationalsnowday.com/icemelts -Captain Fred McGilicutty

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Ski or Snowboard Rentals – Whistler

Renting skis used to be a dreaded experience, long line ups for poorly maintained out of date equipment provided by ski bums who didn’t care. Changes have swept across this industry with new companies competing in every resort worldwide.

With airlines charging extra for ski baggage, the inconvenience of carrying heavy equipment and an increased environmental awareness the number of skiers renting equipment has risen.

If you look at ski technology and ski branding a two year old ski can often look outdated, therefore before you leave home do a quick calculation of “how many days a year do you ski?” multiplied by the cost of renting against the cost of new skis. The average cost of renting top end gear is around $50 CDN for two days. If you average 10 days per year that works out at $250 per year. New skis with bindings range from $500 to $1100.

Factor in the cost of tuning, inconvenience, baggage fees and your environmental consciences and renting comes out the winner.

My family decided to test this theory with a visit to Whistler in January, we looked online and booked with a company called Affinity Sports. (www.affinityrentals.com)

After breezing through the airport and traveling the sea to sky highway we checked into our hotel around 9pm. Surprisingly the rental shop was still open so despite our jet lag we headed in to pick up our gear. The staff greeted us on the way in the door and our reservation was ready. We tried on the boots and with skis hanging on every wall I picked out a new Pair of Volkl AC50. The binding was adjusted and the staff answered all our tourist questions while helping us feel welcome in Whistler. The kids tried snowboarding had to choose from a selection kids gear.

On the third day the weather moved in so we took a rest day, I dropped the skis back at the store and was surprised to learn I would be credited back the days I didn’t use. I then took advantage of the best reason to rent, trying different equipment. The trend in skis is to have more specialized equipment to suit the conditions so I changed for a K2 Coomba, a powder ski. Each time I dropped into see the staff at Affinity they accommodated my every request without hesitation. The equipment was tuned, it was the latest model and the service was excellent.

Two weeks later back at my desk I thought about the old rent vs. buy argument. I will be renting skis, snowboards and maybe even snow blades every time I go. The image of ski rentals is changing and being driven by companies like Affinity, I hope to go back to Whistler for the Olympics and will be renting everytime.

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Welcome to the first global online Game of S.N.O.W – the Quiksilver King of S.N.O.W. Hampus Mosesson is submitting the first trick and you are pleased to copy it! Switch BS 180° Indy is the trick of the hour which you should copy on every similar kicker on mother earth and with as much style and power as possible. Don´t forget to show your face right into the cam after you did your Switch BS 180° Indy!

This round’s winner will get a nice Quiksilver Package including: Quiksilver Travis Rice Signature Goggle and the Quiksilver Premium SnowPack (thechnical snowboard features, suspensions system, LED lighting system und premium audio components – make the backcountry a whole new experience)

This winter is going to be one giant worldwide session!

From now on every 14 days one of your favorite Pros will present a trick you have to imitate within two weeks and on a similar obstacle. Once you have sticked and – hopefully – filmed the trick you must upload it as video file to the Quiksilver King of S.N.O.W platform. Needless to say that you should try to redo the trick with as much style as possible in order to get as many judging points as possible in the worldwide ranking. Because in every single round – that means every 14 days – the most gnarly and styled trick will be rewarded with a massive stuff package.

We will make you rich and famous!

The top four snowboarders that have earned the most judging points after Round 7 will be invited by Travis Rice and Mathieu Crepel to their invitational-only event in La Plagne, France – called Chromatophobia. Quiksilver will assume just everything – flight, accommodation and catering – no matter from where on this planet you have to travel.

T-Rice will present the final trick in the Quiksilver King of S.N.O.W snowpark the four finalists have to copy. A camera team will capture every single trick and finally upload it to www.king-of-snow.com. Afterwards the tricks will be judged one more week for the very last time. The one with the highest score may be pleased about 5.000,- USD cash and short interviews with all our media partners worldwide.

As a special goodie the four lucky finalists will get a wildcard to compete with Mathieu, Travis and many other topguns at the Chromatophobia.

Sign up now for free!

Get your free account at king-of-snow.com now! Further information you will find there. So just check back regularly to ensure that you will be well-informed and on top of the world from the very beginning!

http://www.roninsnowboards.com/en/quiksilver-king-of-snow/

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The partners of the Freeride World Tour 2009 events are:

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Mammoth Mountain, CA – The Town of Mammoth Lakes and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area welcomed the first commercial aircraft in over a decade to arrive in Mammoth Lakes, California on October 14, 2008. Travelling from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the 74 seat, high-speed, twin-engine turboprop Bombardier Q400 operated by Horizon Air safely touched down as scheduled at 10:05 a.m. 

With a snowy Mammoth Mountain in the background, courtesy of an early-season snowstorm the previous weekend, the first passengers exited the plane to be greeted by a gathering of town dignitaries and local residents. This inaugural flight was designed to give Horizon Air staff and special media guests a glimpse of what will come when nonstop daily service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Mammoth Lakes begins on December 18, 2008. 

“We have been working very hard to get commercial air service back to Mammoth after a 13-year absence,” said Howard Pickett, Chief Marketing Officer at Mammoth Mountain. Pickett continued, “Horizon’s daily flights will make it even easier to get to California’s biggest playground here in the Eastern Sierra. Now winter enthusiasts will be able to spend more time enjoying the slopes, and less time trying to get here.”

Horizon Air will run daily service from Dec. 18, 2008, through April 12, 2009. The 65 minute flight departs Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) daily at 2:20 p.m. and arrives at Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH) at 3:25 p.m. The return flight leaves Mammoth at 4:05 p.m. and arrives at LAX at 5:10 p.m. Introductory fares for select flights from Los Angeles to Mammoth Lakes are available for $79 each way, and standard fares are available starting at $99 each way.*

In preparation for commercial air service from Horizon Air, Mammoth Yosemite Airport recently underwent $12 million in improvements including a new 5,000 sq. foot commercial terminal building, a reconstructed runway and taxiway, new runway lighting, new ramp lighting and a new automated weather system. The last commercial air service to MMH airport was Transworld Express in 1995. 

Photo: Horizon Air touches down at Mammoth Yosemite Airport. Credit: Peatross/MMSA

*See horizonair.com for complete fare rules. All schedules subject to change without notice.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is the leading four-season mountain resort in California. With 1.5 million annual skier visits, Mammoth Mountain is currently the third most frequented ski resort in the United States. The company owns and operates a variety of resort businesses including recreation, hospitality, real estate development, food and beverage and retail. Specific businesses owned and operated by Mammoth Mountain include Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, June Mountain, Tamarack Lodge and Resort, Mammoth Snowmobile Adventures, Mammoth Mountain Bike Park and the Mammoth Mountain Inn. Mammoth Mountain also operates Juniper Springs Resort, the Village Lodge and Sierra Star Golf Course in Mammoth Lakes, California. For more information on Mammoth Mountain, visit MammothMountain.com or call 800.MAMMOTH.

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THE MESSAGE  - OCTOBER 2008

Hot Dawgs and Hand Rails

THE BLOCK BOOTCAMP 2008

Knock on Wood

Upcoming Events

Big Bear

Lake Tahoe

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At 12.00am Oct 1st 2008 StepChild Snowboards will launch 'Downloaded' live on our integrated media site. Downloaded is our video offering for 2008, a follow on from last years Child Support DVD which is still available from your local retailers while stocks last. Downloaded runs a little longer than 20 minutes and is a mini movie showing what the StepChild team does between filming and travelling. With footage from Japan, Bear Mtn, Whistler and Europe, be sure to check out the Media Page at www.stepchildsnowboards.com 12am PST to view 'Downloaded' in HD.

Downloaded can also be Downloaded - Imagine that! As well as embedded on your own site or forwarded to friends, all within our media player, care of our chums at mobilerider.

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The completion of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola ropework and the arrival of 28 Sky Cabins set the stage for what will be the biggest construction milestone of the lift installation – the first Sky Cabin to cross the record-breaking 3 kilometre/1.88 mile, unsupported span between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

“With the haul rope spliced and all 28 Sky Cabins transported to the Blackcomb terminal, our next objective will be to get the cabins on the line and to send 12 across the span to Whistler,” says Rick Temple, PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola Construction Manager. “We are aiming to send them over by mid to late September, and are on track for the upcoming December grand opening.”
The Sky Cabins were shipped across the Atlantic from Olten, Switzerland where they were manufactured by CWA, global leader in design and construction of cableway vehicles. The Sky Cabins were then loaded onto ten trucks for the journey through Canada. Two cabins feature glass floors, enclosed by a railing, for a bird’s eye view of the Fitzsimmon’s Valley 436 metres/1,430 feet below.

Another significant milestone was the splicing of the haul rope to create a continuous loop, which took place August 29 and 30. The splice was 68 metres/220 feet long, and took a crew of 14 people over 15 hours to complete. Norm Duke, a FATZER AG certified splicer from Wyoming, lead the team of seven Whistler Blackcomb employees and six Doppelmayr/Garaventa employees to complete the job. Duke has spliced many of Whistler Blackcomb’s FATZER AG ropes and spliced the Symphony Express rope in 2006. The splice was achieved by untwining strands from each end of the steel cable and then re-braiding them together to ensure a perfect bind that maintains the haul rope’s diameter of 46mm.

Doppelmayr’s unique 3S gondola technology has each cabin traveling along two 56mm track ropes which bear the weight of the Sky Cabins, with the haul rope pulling in the middle of the two tracks. The haul rope was the only splice needed for the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola since the track ropes are stationary and do not loop from Blackcomb to Whistler.

The terminal buildings are nearing completion with cladding installation in the final stages and station set-up taking place. Construction progress of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is captured daily via webcams, and weekly via photography and construction blogs on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola microsite at www.whistlerblackcomb.com. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola will open in December.

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That's right, Core Snowboard Camps is giving away a free 4 week all-inclusive camp and a return flight at Europe's biggest freestyle event - Freestyle.ch. We're actually giving away more than that. Our newest camp outerwear sponsor, Zimtstern , is throwing in $3000 worth of 08-09 outerwear. Thanks Zimtstern. And the airfare is being taken care of by ESL Sejours, the best travel agency out there. Cheers guys.

All prize entries must be received at the Core Camps exhibition and tent at the Freestyle.ch festival in Zurich, Switzerland between Sept 26-28 2008. Winners will be announced at the Core Camps/Zimtstern tents on Sunday, Sept 28 at 4:30pm.
All the details are below.

1st Prize - 4 week Core Snowboard Camp + return flight
2nd Prize - 08-09 Zimtstern snowboard outfit ($1500)
3rd Prize - 08-09 Zimtstern snowboard outfit ($1500)

1st Prize includes:*
- daily riding and training with pro coaches (Mon-Fri)
- unlimited season pass (includes new Peak to Peak gondola + discounts)
- 28 nights accommodation in one of our rider houses (twin share room)
- return flight and airport transfers provided by ESL Sejours
- weekly video analysis and tune-up & waxing clinics
- snowboard factory tour
- Core Snowboard Camp hoodie
- Product give-aways from sponsors
- nightly/weekly activities and social events
- personal video DVD
- the best snowboarding experience of your life

*- Winner must be at least 16 years old
*- The winner must provide their own travel insurance
*- Possible start dates for 1st prize are: Nov 29, Dec 6, 13, and 20 2008
*- Meals are not included and are the responsibility of the winner
*- Arrival and departure on Saturdays only
*- Prize is not transferable

2nd and 3rd Prizes include:
- Two 08-09 Zimtstern snowboard outfits valued at $1500 each
- Winners will be able to choose their outerwear directly at the Zimtstern warehouse and head office in Zurich, Switzerland in early October. Exact dates to be announced.

The 3 winners names will be drawn at the Core Camps/Zimtstern tents at approx. 4:30pm on Sept 28. Winners will be contacted immediately following the draw and announced on the Core Camps website. Good luck to all contestants and we'll see you in Zurich before we see you in Whistler!!

CoreSnowboardCamps.com

www.zimtstern.com

www.freestyle.ch

www.ESL-Sejours.com

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Late in the season, a common pastime among snowboarders is the infamous gaper hunt. After witnessing this activity in various places, I've been struggling with a very important question: what is the proper pronunciation of the word “gaper”. Everyone seems to have their own take on it and I'd like to take a little time to investigate the etymology of the word.

Conventional wisdom would have you look to a word's spelling to get an idea of how to pronounce it. Using this logic, the most obvious answer for the proper pronunciation is gey-per. If we look to the definition of a gaper, however, we're led to believe that the pronunciation doesn't follow standard english syntatical expectations.

It's like the ghosts of christmas past, present and future.

The Urban Dictionary defines a gaper as:

... a skier or snowboarder who is completely clueless. Usually distinguished by bright colored clothes and a gaper gap -- the gap between the goggles and a helmet/hat. Gaper's are known to do the "Gaper Tuck" which is an attempt at being a ski racer by tucking, however, it is done incorrectly with the poles sticking straight up like thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening! Gapers also sit at the bottom of jumps and try and go big off table tops in the park.

From this definition, we're led to believe that the term gaper has its roots in the description of the gap for which they are known. From this, one would assume that the correct pronunciation of the word is in fact gap-per. So the confusion is understandable when trying to figure out how to properly pronounce the term.

The Urban Dictionary, however, also provides another definition for the word GAPER as “an acronym that stand[s] for Guaranteed Accident Prone on Every Run.” This definition has no reference to the distinctive gaper gap which seems to be one of the roots of the word. If we rely on this definition, there is no need to break the rules of syntax and the word can be pronounced gey-per.

Gaper in Other Contexts

The word gaper also has meanings in other contexts. Wikipedia describes gapers as stone heads, often depicting a black man, located on the fronts of buildings in the Netherlands to indicate that these building are pharmacies. The gaper represents the assistant of the travelling apothecary who was the forefather of the modern pharmacist. This assistant would pretend to be a sick man only to miraculously feel better (and perform a dance) after taking the pill given to him by the apothecary. So in the Netherlands, the word Gaper is somewhat representative of a charlatan. This relates to the modern definition of the word since gaper's in ski resorts will often profess to a higher degree of skill than they actually have. This doesn't help in the search for the correct pronunciation of the word, however, since I don't speak the Dutch language.

The simplest definition of a gaper that I have found so far, is “a person or thing that gapes”¹. This definition actually provides a phonetic spelling for the word, which is in fact gey-per, as one would expect. This description also agrees with the more colloquial definition of the word as gapers are often seen in the middle of Whistler Village, in their rear-entry boot and neon one-piece glory, gaping at the scenery through the lense of a camera (that is when they aren't seen as a streak of neon laying down wide carves on the cat track).

The Verdict

Following this long and arduous Google search, I think the question of the pronunciation of the word gaper can finally be laid to rest. I motion that the correct pronunciation heretofore be gey-per; don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If they insist on pronouncing it gap-per, refer them to this study which should convince them that they are wrong-headed. Although this study cannot be considered complete by any stretch of the imagination, I'm pretty confident that it is the most in-depth investigation into the etymology of the word gaper that you'll be able to find (I'm not sure if that makes me sad or proud).

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