April 2014:
It still felt weired to ski on my Touring skis, so I measured binding delta (ramp angle) as well forward lean and delta on my boots and bindings. Surprisingly the Vulcan and Dobermann's are alomost identical in geometry. But, the ramp angle of the Dynafit Radical binding is about 5mm steeper than on a Jester or PX18. I have failed to source the right screws in oder to shim the toe piece of the Radical, so I changed the boot shaft angle on the Vulcan to the more upright position. It skies way better now! (the Vulcan comes from the factory in the more forwards position since it is aimed for the Beast binding, while the Mercury and other come in the more upright position since it is aimed to the Radical bindings) Longterm I will change to the Beast 14 on my touring skis, that offers a ramp angle similar to my alpine set-up.
January 2014:
Chile has been great. I wish I could have stayed longer, but as soon as I got back it was dumping in Osttriol and around ISPO we got the mandentory dump in Triol. So it was also great to be back ;-).
I have bought a Dynafit Vulcan TF Touring boot since my Scarpa Maestrale RS really is unskiable. This seems like a harsh statement, but if you come from raceboots these Freeride Touringboots are less than a joke. However the Vulcan does the job. I finaly can ski like I want and could even consider to control a bigger ski than my 4frnt Cody in 179cm with it. We are jugling the idea of a RV roadtrip mostly skinning on the american continent. For this trip I would like to mount a Beast 16 on my Rossi Super 7 and ski it with the Vulcan. Should work!
Pia on her second film line 2014
December 2013:
An early start, this season has! First Powder: check! First randonnée: check! Even though I will interupt the season with a 3 week kayaking trip to Chile around Christmas the season will be memorable - for sure. We have a really cool multi-day trip with skins and lifts in the pipe. My physical condition is great and I am ready to giv'er all on long days.
I have just released a highlight clip of the boy and girls. Check it out:
October 2013:
I made the cover of "Powder Calendar" 2014! Also, I am featured on the May spread with the pylon shot,
you can see in the publiction highlight at the bottom of this page.
April 2013:
End of Season 2013: It was a long winter with a sudden end. Unfortunately the snow got rotten before we have had a corn snow period. No matter how bad the snow has gotten, it is hard for me to say good bye to the mountains and to the people I share our winter experiences with. I still would like to climb Wildspitze (Tyrol's highest mountain) as the seasons wrap up, but it is uncertain as I am in full swing of coaching and kayaking already.
I feel that this season was quite special for me. I had a great time filming with Pia. Last year both of us felt more pressure since it was my first year behind the camera and her first year calling lines herself. After a decent result we took it easier this winter and had lots of fun. In my opinion the result is significantly better, even though the conditions for filming were more challenging due to very changeable weather conditions and less snow.
Also due to my initiative, all of us got more on skins and in order to get away from the masses. To me the quality of an mission gains great quality when you get away from other people. No matter what you do it feels so much more special. But also the group forms a lot better as it needs to be when attacking bigger missions. As kayakers we are used to be self sustainable as a group and count on being there for ourselves in good and bad times, cover others weaknesses and be a psychological back up for each others ambitions. I hope our missions did improve this kind of group awareness especially with our non-kayaking buddies.
During the season I have tested a lot of and different skis, binding and shoe set-ups. I have ended my relation with Salomon as I seek full freedom in choosing my gear. For next season I will will ride those set-ups (please feel free to ask if you have questions concerning my choices):
1. Black Crows Nocta 188 w/ Look Pivot 18 (high quality medium flex, sandwich ski and legendary binding w/ 5mm shoe ramp angle)
2. Rossignol Super 7 188cm w/ Salomon Guardian 16 (lightweight 115mm camrock ski for smaller ascents and radical descents). I favor the Guardian to the Marker Duke because of its 5mm ramp angle (vs. 0mm of the Duke))
Both skis I ride with a Nordica Doberman WC EDT 130 Boot with Vibram soles and www.schuhlabor.at custom footbed.
3. 4frnt Cody 179 w/ Dynafit TLT Radical FT Binding, Black Diamond Mohair Mix skins and Scarpa Maestrale RS Boot.
To my surprise the binding works great! I have tried longer and stiffer skis, but uphill I find it too hard to kick turn with my 178cm frame and downhill more ski seems hard to handle with this kind of boots. The Boots are still the biggest question mark on my touring set-up. I will try the Dynafit Vulcan next season for comparison.
Enjoy some of the best pics of the season:
Early season pow and skies, Outer Banks/ Hochfügen:
The deepest day: cold and light snow in secret forest:
Getting after it in "new" locations: Sportgastein:
Behind the house: Touring in Kaisergebirge with Pia and Fabi:
February 2013:
-Early March: Sorry for being offline for a while my website got hacked a few times, which made it impossible to post news.
We have been on the search. I haven't been to that many new resorts and regions in many years. The Snowcard Tirol makes it possible. We have found good snow and had some great adventures. Now, I know that a 3kg binding with alpine race boots doesn't get me to the end of the rainbow. In order to get deep into the mountains one needs to go lighter. I have Pebax boots and Dynafit bindings on the shopping list - still have to decide what compromise I am willing to accept on skis.
However the big news is that skins will get you away from the crowds into the goods. Around the resort you can live with a guardian/ duke type binding, but why if you can have this: http://casttouring.com/?page_id=5
This system weights only 273 gr. and ads 6,5mm of height. A Guardian ads 600gr and 10mm...on top you have to lift the rear piece of your binding...
Home, sweet home!
December 2012:
- Early January: We are skiing! What a great feeling. I have never been a fan of Glacier skiing in fall, this is why my season starts with the first bigger snowfalls. With still low tide on most slopes it is important to survive the early season without major crashes and hitting rocks. While everybody else can't wait to charge and huck big, we have been our shooting the new equipment and looking for new spots. Of course, we will never again find a spot like Hochfügen used to be 10 years ago. But looking at the crowds on fat skies that showed up in HF saturday the 29th of December 2012 it is time to move on - at least for the day after a big dump.
I am really happy with my gear this year. Patagonia's Pow Slayer Gore-Tex Pro Bib and Jacket perfectly suit my riding/ hiking/ style. With the new Salomon Rocker 115 ski and the new Salomon touring binding "Guardian 16" I have the perfect All-Mountain/ Everyday set-up with all performance and freedom I need.
Since a few days Pia Widmessers clip from Matthias Mayr's movie "Another day in paradise" is online. I have shot all the footage on easily accessed terrain in Hochfügen. Watch it below.
Photo: Michael Neumann
April 2012:
- End of April: A picture caught my attention, when I was alomst calling it a winter. The jump was build in a several week long effort to have a dozen of guys jump for a few days. Obviously the organisers are proud of how much money and recsources were burned to have a few guys do what they do almost every day. In the year 2012 I find archaic trying to impress with fuel and cash consumption, especially in an outdoor sport! Less is more - light is right!
- Mid April: Winter slowly reaches an End - boating has started. We have had a few small dumps and used them soley for our pleasure ;-)
However, I have edited two clips from footage I shot in the last months:
March 2012:
- End of March: Spring has moved in with all its benefits and limitations. The snowpack is superstable, nice slush and warm afternoons please us while Powder is hard to find. Our friend Pia Widmesser got a Wildcard for the Verbier Xtreme Freeride Contest. Since we wanted to go at least on one trip this winter, we followed her to Switzerland. Unfortunately Pia crashed, but beside the result the whole event was a pleasant experience. After, we followed our long time friends Erik Martinsen and Tore Meirik to Val d'Anniviers further west in the Valais. Check out the short clip from Zinal, Grimentz and St. Luc (online end of April):
- Mid March: Due to extremely warm weather we had to delay the 7th Ostwand Open 2012. Here is the highlight clip:
http://vimeo.com/38743109
- Early March: One and a half days in front of the camera. Ingrid doing her first experiences behind the camera:
Febuary 2012:
- Ende Februar: Auch der Februar 2012 sollte uns nicht enttäuschen. Nach dem die ISPO geschafft war schneite es wieder wie aus Kübeln. Wir hatten einige der besten Tage der Saison im Wald (gleiche Qualität wie Ende Dez ;-). Leider fiel der Schnee in den hohen Lagen unter großem Windeinfluss. Pia löste beim Filmen eine fette Lawine aus, die uns erstmal wieder auf den Boden der Tatsachen zurück brachte. Erst Ende des Monats entspannte sich die Lage etwas und wir konnen nochmal schön oberhalb der Waldgrenze shredden. Dazu gibt es auch ein kleines Video:
Leider war ich im Februar selbst fast nur hinter der Kamera. Das klingt natürilch traurig, ist es aber nicht, denn ich habe mich auf den "Powderturn mit Stativ" schon ganz gut eingeschossen, so dass die Fotografen (hier Michi Neumann) auch was zu sehen bekamen, sobald das Set abgebaut war. Im März möchte ich selbst auch wieder mehr fahren und auch die anderen einspannen mich mal zu filmen.
January 2012:
- Ende Jan: Nach jedem Sturm kommt irgendwann Sonnenschein. Auch wenn die letzten Stürme oberhalb der Waldgrenze einiges an "Schaden" am Schnee angerichtet hatten, gab es einiges zu tun. Die ersten schönen Tage nutzten wir zum filmen in Hochfügen. Dann, als sich die große Schlacht um den unverspurten Schnee etwas beruhigt hatte, nutzen wir die relativ sichere Schneelage um ein paar lang geplante Projekte zu verwirklichen.
Lonley hiking and tracks for Mankei and me: Phil's Couloir!
Matzes run im Morrison Face, Hochfügen 15.1.2012:
Practicing my Shifty in Kaltenbach after storm "Andrea"
-Mid Jan: What a winter! It is dumping. I has been many years since we had this much snow. Great, we ski the trees most of the time. Even though, we have been using the three (!!) bluebird days for filming. I have a filming light set-up that allows me to have fun skiing with - fortunately. Check out some of the footage here:
http://vimeo.com/34323871
December 2011:
- Late Dec.: I love skiing before Christmas and after easter. The resorts are quiet and the liftlines are non existent. Even better when its snows. Today we had one of my deepest days in St. Anton.
Photographer Michi Neumann captures myself during a short moment above the surface...
-Dec 18th: We got well surprised by the conditions below the tree line today. Literally over night the conditions have turned from "piste to pow".
First Pow day! Matze into Pillerseetal.
-Dec. 17th: I can't explain how happy I am with my ankle and that I can ski without pain (Even though I have to learn how to use it again). I have been putting in laps on the piste in order to get the cobwebs off, push the legs and get confidece into the turns. It has never been that much fun!
-Dec. 10th: Snowcard: check - Hochfügen open: check - Prev. injured ankle: check - Quadrizeps: check!
Finally winter has moved in. 'Been out in the pow once and ready to go since my last winter was more pain than glory. I'll ckeck with the boot fitter this week and see what I have to do in order to get a boot that will fit my unusual ankle...
1st day - first pow!
April 2011:
A few more days up high and sessions in the DC park Pass Thurn until the lifts closed ended the season. Check out the DC park here. In my opinion the best intermediate and beginner park around. Summery: Unfortunately another poor winter with a small, unstable snow pack - at least in Tirol. However, it only shall forecast an epic winter 2011/12!
March 2011:
-End of March: We have been to Pitztal a few times and rode the noth face of Mittagskogel. This 1500 vertical metre run is accessed by the Gletscher Express, a T-bar lift, a traverse and 45min. of boot packing. The face offers endless possibilities of scary descents. I really enjoy it back there. Since it is a little bit away from mass tourism also the locals seem to be more warm hearted than elswere in Tirol.
Ingrid and Mankei during her birthday
-March 6th: Check out our action highlights from our yearly Big Mountain Jam the "Ostwand Open" 2011:
http://vimeo.com/20712114
Febuary 2011:
-End of Feb.: It's been a tough winter for me. Mid November I realised that I won't be able to ski for an other couple of weeks/ month due to an ankle injury (dislocation) I had in September biking. By Januay I found out that the comfortable Snowboardboot works better for me than a ski boot. After 13 years of abstinence I got back on a single strap on board... finaly I was able to go out with Ingrid and the boys again. It didn't take long before I could ski again either, but I still can't ski like I want to. I have to wear old boots since my foot won't fit my regular ski boot and it hurts... My snowboarding is far away from where it used to be, but from the two "handicaped" choices I have, I use the single board surprisingly often ;-). The last two weeks I have been out quite a bit. I want to feel strong when the conditions shape up again. My hope for snow hasn't vanished.
The "TURN 2011":
Introduction:
After my professional kayaking career I enjoyed staying in the alps for the winter and developing the sport I have started at the age of 3. I always enjoyed the adventures part of skiing in the backcountry. Ever since I spend 50-70 days of the winter pushing my personal limits in the backcountry, working with photographers and producing video footage.
Highlights:
- Full season ski buming in St. Anton 00/01.
- Best german competitor at Fieberbrunn Big Mountain competition 2006 (8th pre-lims, 13th final).
- Two double pages and one full page in ski magazines, winter 09/10/11.
- Heliskitrip to Alaska 04/10.
Sponsors:
Salomon, Patagonia, Sweet Protection
Publication highlights 2010-13: (planetSNOW, DSVaktiv, SKImagazin):
Photos by Michael Neumann, Jens Klatt und Olli Grau
