Soon, a website will be launching that is unlike any that has preceded it in the history of outdoor gear sales. Backcountry.com’s new offering, Department of Goods , will be an invite-only style of closeout inventory sales.  The best part:  one in ten orders will be completely comped, meaning you won’t even have to pay for the gear you put in your cart!

Sweetgrass Productions: Signatures

I had the opportunity to catch the most recent release by Sweetgrass Productions in Carbondale a couple of nights ago.  Dos Gringos (my favorite burrito place in C-dale!) offered up their fine establishment to accommodate the over 80 people that showed up to watch some pow riding delight.

Now, I should mention that I have been aware of this project since its early filming this past winter.  Many of my close friends and skiing buddies made the trek out to Japan, where the producers/filmers posted up for over 7 months.  That being said, I was excited to see the action my friends got into while in the land of the rising sun.

Luckily, good news came just hours before I set off with my girlfriend in tow to catch the show, as reports of ‘Signatures’ winning the Best Cinematography award at this year’s IF3 ski film festival in Montreal came in across the intraweb.  Facebook , the TGR boards , and Twitter were all abuzz about this beautifully shot film and its unique approach to winter riding.

Lest the film disappoint, I was already stoked on my ‘Spud Luv’ potato filled burrito, but no worries.  ‘Signatures’ opened in classic Sweetgrass style with a cool narration reflecting on seasonal change and shots of rivers, ocean, and snow falling.  If you are a powder fan, then this is the film of the year for you; there are more slash turns and pillow drops than a bag of marshmallows.

The segment that really caught my attention and will keep me coming back is the night shots.  I have seen night skiing/riding in action sports films before, but these guys really know how to keep your eyes dancing across the screen.  The creative editing allowed each skier’s slash or drop to intermix like a choreographed dance.  Awesome, just plain awesome.  You’ll have to see it to really understand what I’m trying to get at here.

In summary, if you’ve been feeling a little burnt out on the regular ski flick offerings each year, check this film out.  It’s not an MSP, or TGR, or even Level 1 for that matter…but that is exactly what sets it apart and makes it stand out.  And if the judges at IF3 aren’t good enough for ya, just trust this ski bum, I even snaked a poster of theirs to hang in my van for some added stoke.

Jonesing for some pow? Buy these skis!

Hook a ski bum up and click through!

Wow, in the wake of this past ski season, I have found myself hitting a wall, both emotionally and physically.  With a doctor’s diagnosis of fractured humeral heads in both of my shoulders and a fractured right scapula, I finally have an understanding of all the pain I had dealt with throughout the season.  Not to mention the torn labrum (a part of the AC joint muscle-tendon group in the shoulder) in my left shoulder that I must have sustained through the impact and eventual dislocation during the ‘Jib theTatsVan’ session back in January.  I haven’t had the motivation to keep up with stories on this site, mainly because I haven’t been doing much.  Needless to say, the X-rays, MRIs and doctor’s diagnosis have helped me get my head around all of these injuries, and I’m now trying to get back in shape for rafting this summer.

And though there is no excuse for my tardiness in updating this website, I make no apologies from taking time off from the Internet.  I know some of my close friends and acquaintances have been jibbing me for all the mobile-uploads on Facebook and my fervor for Twitter updates, so I decided to give myself some time away from it all.  But now, I find myself clearing up my mind, ever more intent on keeping this blog up-to-date.

In the interest of introducing you, the reader, back into the life of a ski bum, I have compiled a list of Twitter feeds for you to check out:

Freeskier Magazine’s ’100 People to follow on Twitter’ – Yours truly is included in the list of skiers!

Tecnica/Blizzard – My ski and boot sponsor
Backcountry.com – Follow BC.com and catch up on all the latest sales
Julian Carr – My good friend and entrepreneur extraordinaire
Cody Townsend – This guy rips.  And sleeps on couches too.  Sweet.
Henrik Lampert – My fellow Freeskier Fest ski tester – always good with funny quips!
Dave Amirault – Digi Dave is the brains behind the whole Freeskier Online
Jonny Atencio – Backcountry.com’s Athlete Wrangler and my longtime sponsor
Keith Carlsen – Former editor of Powder Magazine and current big mountain comp photographer

To wrap it up, I’ll give you a little idea of what I’ll be doing over the next few weeks to a month from now.  Soon, Jamie and I will be driving to Sun Valley to celebrate my dad’s 67th birthday.  I can’t wait to go home and see the old valley for a short while.  On the 26th, my dad will be giving a presentation at the Ketchum Library on my grandfather’s film ‘Topaz’ about the Japanese-American internment during WWII; it’ll be good to get back in touch with my JA side.

Jamie and I will return to Aspen by the end of May, when I hope to begin working for Blazing Adventures once again as a professional, commercial bus driver and (crossing fingers!) raft guide.  By June 10th, I’ll be hitting the road with the Challenge Aspen race team on the way to Mt. Hood, Oregon to help coach a two-week race camp and some summertime skiing.  Big thanks to Jonathan Mika and Kevin Jardine for the hookup on that one!  Read more about Challenge Aspen here

This hat is just plain dope.

All your outdoor gear needs!

What’s up everyone?  My name is Willie Volckhausen, and I’m here to tell you all that Chris Tatsuno taught me today some very interesting things about the internet, blogging, Facebook and a heap of other philosophical agendas of the ski bum.

We had a long talk in the van about what it is going to take to sustain the ski bum.  This seems like a simple enough task but to our suprise we discovered that we are not as easily pacified as we once thought.  We need to survive in a world of millionaire real estate agents and second-home owner, vacation types.  But we do it form the backs of our vans or the employee housing on the ourskirts of town.

One of the questions raised from was what do we really want and what do we really need.  I was quick to reply that I want homes in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and the Ande’s mountains, a sail boat as well as a few bungalows in the Tropics to rest between all the good skiing in the mountains.  Then Chris asked me what it would take to achieve such a goal.  A trust fund or hot lotto ticket came to mind but I wanted to be more creative than that.  I realized I would need to either earn more or cost less.  I could give up some luxury and live in a van like Chris, or I could achieve financial security through the magic of networking.  I don’t really need the money to buy my fantasy, I just need to meet the people who have experience in the matter.

Through networking we can learn how best to do something.  We can band together and learn from each others’ mistakes, thereby reducing much of the trial and error process.  If we can just think of who to ask, or search out the real experts, then we educate and empowered ourselves to take those next steps toward our goals.  This is the real power of Facebook, blogging and the internet in general.  If we could just communicate on such levels more than we look at porn and send jokes, then we could all be much more productive, motivated, and educated in the area’s of our lives that we feel are important.

Thank you Chris Tatsuno for educating me today and I will see you all on Facebook as soon as get a computer.  It’s a small investment, I think; a stepping stone to achieving the dream.

This just in from Pat Sewell, fellow Blizzard team rider:

Hello friends!!! I hope this letter finds you all in good spirits and in good health with many powder days under your belts this season! I just wanted to drop you all a line and invite you to the "First Annual Fallen Friends Memorial Bump-Off, Shred Fest, and Fundraiser" set to go off Saturday March 21st at Aspen Highlands! I hope you all can come celebrate the mountain lifestyle that unites us all in honor and remembrance of our fallen friends Johnny Nicoletta, Wallace Westfeldt, Billy Poole, Blake Davidson, and all the others of an unfortunatley long list of fallen friends. The event is a benefit for the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club and is a team formatted new-school bump off and shred fest intended to unite the entire snowsports community. The venue will consist of a unique set of bumps, jumps, jibs, bonks, kickers, and even a ski splash. A venue with something for everyone whether you’re new-shool or old-school. Participants will compete in teams of 2-5 throughout a two hour jam session and be judged based on overall impression, team costume, and various other catergories. DJ Naka G will be spinning live on scene and a party & good times are a sure thing! So come get get your shred on and help raise some money for the kids! Saturday March 21st, Aspen Highlands, Colorado, USA, Earth… Get a team a 2-5 people together, decide a team name and theme/costume, register at www.aspensnowmass.com/springjam or bring $$$ the day of the event, and come ready to shred, party, and celebrate the lives of our fallen friends. $25 per participant. All proceeds going to the Aspen Valley Ski Club. See you all there!!! Do it! Do it!
P.Sewell
PS- Please forward this e-mail to all your friends and help me spread the word!