Ride Utah Blog

Slug Magazines annual Ski Park Jam at Brighton Resort. This years theme is High School Prom

Looks like the kids at Westminster College got to have some fun with the Eve Railjam setup.  Check it out.

If you haven’t heard already about Olympic hopeful and Burton athlete, Kevin Pearce’s accident in the Park City halfpipe, the essential information is that he’s suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury while practicing for the Olympics.  For updates on his condition you can visit the family’s Facebook Page.  Here is a story from the New York Times about Kevin: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/sports/olympics/05pearce.html

Having had a close friend suffer a TBI this summer, I know what a terrifying thing it can be.  One thing I did learn is that only time will tell and being young and strong is definitely a plus when it comes to recovery.  Get well Kevin.

The new Burton.com is online. Check out all the latest and greatest gear for the coming season.

http://www.burton.com/

One feature I found interesting was this debate over Rocker v. Cambered boards.

http://www.burton.com/mens-rocker-camber-snowboards/mens-features-rocker-and-camber,default,sc.html

I think I’ll be going with the new rockered Malalo powder board this season. With a tapered tail and a rocker camber, I should be able to keep the nose up on a 158cm in even the deepest Utah pow.  Where do you stand?

Interesting story that came up in my news alerts.

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah – A human skull was discovered Friday at Brighton Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. According to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office, the skull was discovered by a hiker in a drainage area at the bottom of a ravine. Deputies are searching the area for the rest of the body, and are unsure if the skull is evidence of a crime. The skull was taken to the Office of the Medical Examiner to determine the year of death.

No word yet as to whether this was a skier or snowboarder.

http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-human-skull-found-at-brighton-resort,0,3315227.story

After being absent for a few years the Grand Prix of Snowboarding is coming back to Park City Mountain Resort and the Eagle Superpipe.  Glad to see the Olympic halfpipe hosting an Olympic qualifier event.  Date is set as Jan 22-23, 2010.  I can’t wait to watch America’s best duel it out for slots on the Olympic team.  Here’s an excerpt from the press release.

The historic pipe where U.S. athletes swept the men’s podium and won gold in the women’s event during the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 will entertain the masses with Olympians again. The Grand Prix makes its final stop at Park City Mountain Resort for back to back night competitions, after which the winners will be crowned and the 2010 Olympic halfpipe team will be named.

Among the athletes stoked to hit the Park City pipe is White who, after having dinner with PCMR owner John Cummings, took to his Twitter page to spread the good news.

“Had dinner with John Cummings,” White wrote. “Super nice guy, he told me Park City is having Olympic qualis mid Jan! booyeah!”

A reduced field comprised of the highest scoring athletes from previous tour stops will throw down the best tricks in their bag in an attempt to be one of the few named to the Olympic halfpipe team when the event is over.

“It’s the perfect place to close the story of the Olympic team selection,” Clark said. “The pipe has the tradition of being one of the best in North America. They put a tremendous amount of pride and energy into their venue. They are very excited to have this here.”

In addition to hosting the Olympic halfpipe competition in 2002, Park City also held a Grand Prix the following December in which the Olympic medalists all returned for competition in their glory stomping ground.

With well over 100 national athletes expected to compete for a shot at the Olympic team, the 2010 Grand Prix series will be the hottest series of halfpipe competitions across the U.S.

The whole story is available here:  http://ussnowboarding.com/news?storyId=1883

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Listen kids, avalanches are no joke.  And this season is looking especially bad.  If you know anything about snow safety, which you should if you are heading out into the backcountry, then you know the early season layers of snow are just waiting for a good load of snow and a trigger for them to come crashing down.  Don’t be a statistic.  Get a beacon, shovel, and probe, practice with them, and ride with people who know how to use them.

The Utah Avalanche Center has produced some great videos about snow safety.

Also, because of the lame economy and budget cuts from the state of Utah and the Feds, the Utah Avalanche Center is facing some hard times.  Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the center so they can help keep you on top of the snow.

http://www.active.com/donate/fuac

Need a job?  Need one that comes with a season pass?  Check out the Park City Job Fair.

www.parkcityinfo.com

The Brighton Terrain Park Blog is back up for the season.  Looks like they’ve got the KAB Rail folks working on some new jibs made from old lift towers.  Sweet.  Reusable.

Old Lift Towers repurposed for your sliding pleasure.

http://www.brightonterrainparks.com/blog/