It’s been a full two days since I received the best call of my life.  I was sitting at an early dinner in Irvine, CA with my mom.  She was planning on coming to the Warren Miller ‘Dynasty’ show we were playing on the UC campus, and we met up ahead of time to hang out and grub down at a café just across the walking bridge from the theater.  We ordered some turkey/avocado/chorizo sandwiches with side salads, and took our time to chat up a storm about all sorts of topics.

One week earlier, along with my buddy Justin, I had wrapped up production on a video contest entry for the Powder Highway Ultimate Blow Your Mind Ski Bum 90-Second Video Contest .  It was a first for both of us, neither of having ever entered any sort of video contest before.  Justin told me to gather up any and all pictures or video footage that I had stored on my computer; he was to assemble the raw files and mesh them with the script I had written.  It took about a week to finish, but time was quickly running out on the submission date.  CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

Fast forward back to the cafe, as I’m sitting there intently listening to my mother’s take on our recent Turkey Day shenanigans back in Aspen.  I had just finished the first half of my sandwich and was waiting on the waiter to bring a box for the remainder.  *A ski bum has to make a meal stretch!* Then my pocket started vibrating.

At first, I didn’t realize what it was, having been recently phoneless due to a road-tripping incident on opening day at Crystal Mountain in Washington.  I was still familiarizing myself with the loaner phone my girlfriend so generously donated to this dirtbag ski bum, so the buzzing alert just confused me.  Answering the phone, I heard the woman on the other end introduce herself as Shannon, a representative of Kootenay Rockies Travel.  My heart was racing by this point, and I could feel myself start to yammer.  My mom had picked up on what was going on, and I could see her in my peripheral vision, her hands clapping in utter excitement.  The only other time I had felt this type of intense, euphoric feeling was when I won the Sickbird belt buckle at a freeskiing competition in Telluride.

Shannon went on to explain that I had been chosen among 99 other contestants as the Ultimate Ski Bum to represent the Powder Highway in British Columbia for three months this winter.  It is an experience unlike any prize that has been offered ever before:  hotel stay, a car, a gas card, unlimited skiing all season at all 8 ski resorts along the Powder Highway, and one day of heli- or cat-skiing at each of 16 operations in BC.  Needless to say, it is a prize that would make any powder hound drool.  And I had won it. 

It is right now that I want to recognize everyone who has been friendly, generous, loving, caring, and compassionate enough to make the life of this simple 2^nd generation ski bum a little smoother around the edges.  Of course, my first set of thanks is for my family, for they never doubted the path I have chosen.  And to my sponsors, thanks for turning an open ear to the concerns of just a dude in a van; we’ve got a long road ahead of us, but ski bumming never dies!

To my skiing family – the people who have shared countless turns, beers, high-fives, and impromptu dance parties until way into the night only to get up early and do it all again – you all are the reason that ski bumming exists.  It is our shared energy and spirit that allows us to build our luck and fortune in the mountains, and that is our opportunity to spread that in our interactions with the greater world around us.  Shred on!

Mr. Justin Dersham, thank you, for it was your enthusiasm and confidence that saw us through a crazy week of shows, burritos, writing and pizza, to finish it all up with a sick edit.

And to anyone who shares a smile on the open road, see ya soon.  Powder Highway, here I come!

Tags: backcountry.com, christatsuno, Powder Highway, ski bum, Ultimate Blow Your Mind Ski Bum Contest, Warren Miller