LaLa Land is behind me, Aspen Bound!
It’s been three days since I landed at DIA and felt the brisk, December air brush against my sandaled feet. It’s been about six full months since I last stuffed my feet into ski boots, and I can’t say I’m looking forward to it. Don’t get me wrong, I love my purple steeze Tecnica Agent 130s, but I’m currently missing a toenail on my left big toe. Oh the timing…
So, there I was, wrapping up our last WME show in Pasadena, and I was lifting the last of our promotional gear through the delicate doors of the Rialto Theater which was built back in 1925. I was taking care not to damage the doors by slamming them around, and in a moment of frustration, I accidentally swung the huge speaker towards my foot, thereby ripping the toenail off in one fell swoop. The pain was manageable, but my ego was wounded as I quickly remembered all of the warnings paid me by stage hands throughout the tour. They had told me that sandals are dangerous, and now this ski bum/raft guide wishes he had heeded their advice.
Now, with my new Blizzard Answers mounted up with some Marker Duke bindings, I am antsy to get out and make some turns. I just have to wait for this toe to scab up…at least I have my beautiful girlfriend Jamie and her dog to play in the snow with.
Screaming Libido at the Lido
It is crazy for me to think that it was just two months ago that a bunch of would-be road-doggers assembled at the WME office in Boulder. I remember showing up, giddy, feeling like a kid coming back from summer vacation. I was anxious to see old friends and to meet the new crop of tour folk.
Meeting the three other crew members that you will be spending the next couple of months with – in hotel rooms, in trucks & minivans, in late-night diners – can be an interesting stroke of fate. I’ve been honored to form some lasting bonds with the crewmates of Crew 2: Danger Pier. As we wrap up our last three shows of the tour, we find ourselves tossing jokes and getting work done like brothers, all in the sake of bringing some winter action to the good folks of SoCal.
Newport Beach has represented true to form; Maserati owners rubbing elbows with surf/ski bums. You would think that wouldn’t fly in SoCal, yet the energy riding high amongst the crowded audience matches the electricity of the skiing action on screen. These fans are just as diehard as the dude who slept in his car just to nab your pow turns; they just drive way more expensive cars.
The stories of our shenanigans have been written, but you won’t finf them here. Gotta keep it PG folks. Of course, as with any and all road crews, sussing out stories is a slippery slope amongst the partiers of the trip. So let it suffice to agree that there were legends born during this journey, and not a lip will crack to tell. I will have you this…be on the watchout for a Crew 2 reunion; here’s to the Hamm’s, the Kokanee, the 40s and the g&t, wasted memories are just that…wasted memories.
2009 Warren Miller Film Tour Kicks Off
But, it’s been a blast, and we’ve been able to meet up with some old friends and make some new ones during our week of film tour crew bonding at the Millenium Hotel. Lots of random walks from the bars back to the hotel late at night and some funny stories of tours from the past have filled the gaps between Big City Burrito munching sessions at the nearby strip mall.
For as fun-filled as our nights have been, it’s the days that have us working away in a warehouse somewhere on the East side of Boulder. The projectionists and emcees from each of the five tours have been filed away from the main offices of WME – probably to keep us from scaring the Skiing Magazine staff with our sweet mustaches! – in a manifestation of ‘mancamp’. Facial hair and fart jokes notwithstanding, our little group of roadies have found some real energy and stoke to get out there on tour and show the newest of 60 Warren Miller films. And hey, I even packed my stand-up paddle board…heh.
Some pictures of the warehouse:
Tats + Winter = Friends Forever!
Well, my stint as the MC for the Warren Miller film tour has come to an end. I flew into Denver yesterday and was greeted with the welcoming sight of snow-capped mountains in the distance. The cold air hit me with a brisk chill to the face as I picked up my bags and walked outside to the shuttle pickup; little did I know, but it would be the last day I would have to wear sandals until the late Spring sun visits again in April.
After a short ride to Boulder, I met up with my good buddy Mike McCabe while he was still at work over at Folsom Custom Skis in North Boulder. I arrived just in time to watch him lay up and press a pair of sweet looking freeride skis. The soon-to-be owner of the custom pair of skis was there too, six pack of wheat beer in hand. It is such a cool experience to watch the ski building process in action; the smell of the epoxy and the sound of the pneumatic press as it drops down on all the laminates fills the room, mixing in with the anticipation of the what the final product will look like. I have to say, for a small, two-man operation, Folsom Customs is a legit place, and I encourage anyone in the Boulder/Denver area to stop by and say hi. Bringing beer always helps!
Today, I woke up and headed on over to the Warren Miller Entertainment headquarters to tie up some loose ends from the tour, and to say hi to some of the folks working there. It’s always sweet walking in their building, because SKI and SKIING magazines are made there too, so there is all kinds of cool stuff up on the walls. WME is already busy lining up athletes and scheduling film shoots for next year’s film, and I picked up some much needed insider knowledge about how everything comes together. Thanks to the personal introduction by Kim Schneider (editor of WM films), I had the chance to meet Josh Haskins (line producer) and Max Bervy (director). It’s always great to meet the people behind the scenes of the skiing industry; the ones that bring each year’s ski stoke to audiences worldwide. These guys have been in the business a long time, and they’ve seen everything that happens in the sport, so it was nice of them to give me a little guidance on making this whole skiing thing happen.
Since I was already in the neighborhood after leaving WME’s parking lot, I decided I would swing by the Freeskier Magazine office to say thanks for the sweet profile they printed in this year’s Photo Annual. ‘Digi’ Dave Amirault greeted me at the door and his wave of energy hit me at once; I can see how he manages to handle the multitude of tasks they throw at him, including running Freeskier’s website and writing online features. He introduced me to Chris Jerard and Jay Michelfelder, long time members of the staff at the magazine, as well as some of the interns. It was really cool to walk into that office and have them all know who I was, even if I’m just another ski bum. After tossing me some swag, including a new DISCRETE/Freeskier Mag beanie , I said my goodbyes to Digi and the rest of the crew and headed out into the heart of Boulder, ten copies of the Photo Annual in tow.
The TatsVan is acting up again, probably because she feels left out on all the adventures I’ve had for the past two months. Since she quit on me in the Chipotle parking lot and won’t start up again, I found myself flung right back into the swing of ski bummin’ at its finest: killing time creatively. So, I’m sitting here at my buddies’ house poaching their internet and writing this update after skateboarding around Boulder for a few hours, taking advantage of the last dry streets I’ll see for a while. I can’t believe I’ll be on snow tomorrow for the first time of the 08/09 season; I hope my legs are up for it!
My schedule for the next few weeks will be hectic, and I hope to steal enough time online to keep posting, but if you are in the Aspen, SLC, or Sun Valley areas through the end of the month, look for me! Hopefully the TatsVan and I will be over our little tiff, and she’ll be ready for some ski bummin’ road-trip style.
These gloves are just plain pimpin'
2% of your purchase goes to SheJumps.org
Tats’ Twitterings
Follow Me!
Facebook
Twitter
YouTubeThe Eye of the Ski Bum
Hungry? Car camping?
Tatsuno's Gear Reviews
________________________
