Author: Max Tabor

On April 15th 2015, British rider Billy Morgan put down the first quadruple cork in Livigno, Italy, the first quad to be landed off a park jump on either skis or a snowboard.  Morgan’s rendition, a backside quad cork 1800 (five full rotations with four dips off axis), was followed up a few days later by Max Parrot when he put down a switch quadruple underflip 1620 (four and a half rotations, this time choosing flips instead of off-axis spins).  As we’ve seen in the past with doubles and triples, stunts like these call in the expectation that quads will most likely be seen in competition in the 2015-16 season.  Start training boys…

However with the progression of aerial acrobatics, comes criticism that the sport is heading in the wrong direction.  Many skiers and snowboarders express negative opinions of these mega-spins, advocating that slower spins with better style are better than the “spin-to-win” approach.  Claims are being thrown around that the sport is headed straight in the direction of aerial skiing, certainly a negative accusation in the world of freeskiing and snowboarding.

Lets take a step back.  Skiing and snowboarding are incredibly diverse sports.  In addition to the park jumps we’re now seeing quads thrown on, our industry still thrives on big mountain/freeride competition, creative film production, independent backcountry excursions, and death-defying urban missions.  Rather than showing off game-changing triple and quad flips, the crew from Hemlock Creative took a trip to Japan this winter and shut off their phones and laptops for six weeks, cutting all of their ties from the rest of the world, and social media outlets in particular.  Just about the polar opposite approach from Billy Morgan as he Instagramed his quad cork the day it happened… how’s that for progression?

Even in the park scene, events are being held that push the sport in different ways.  Put on by masters of style Henrik Harlaut and Phil Casabon, the B&E Invitational pushes the creative abilities of skiers in a playground of transitions, wallrides, smaller jump options, and one of a kind rail features.  Similarly, the Nine Knights event held in Italy offers skiers and snowboarders a week long session on a cluster of unique hits, highlighted this year by five side-by-side monster booters, transitions galore of course – a far cry from the standard jump lines seen in X-Games and Dew Tour competitions.

Given the diversity we proudly possess in the snowsports industry, we can conclude that skiing and snowboarding are NOT moving in just one direction.  While the comp scene may be trending towards aerials with mega-spins, there are plenty of other sources for uniqueness and originality within the industry.  Ultimately, we all have different perceptions of progression and style.  A quad cork 1800 in the book of Billy Morgan may hold the same value as a handrag 5 in Candide Thovex’s book.  As snow enthusiasts, let’s stick to what makes us happy, and keep our judgements of others’ riding and trick selection to ourselves.  The last thing we need in this industry are ongoing debates about where our sports should or shouldn’t be heading.  If you’re going to be writing off triples and quads, at least take Parker White’s approach and do it in good taste…

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We’ve come a long way since the days of analog beacons and straight skis. Technological developments in the snowsports industry have not only allowed us to be more creative and adventurous in our on-snow endeavors, but they’ve made it safer for us as well. From the development of basic avalanche safety gear (think beacon, shovel, probe), we’ve been able to progress both skiing and snowboarding, and explore more backcountry areas while feeling comfortable and safe.

Over the past five years, backpacks with manually deployed airbags built into them have become the newest must-have piece of gear for backcountry riders. By deploying the airbag in a serious avalanche situation, the rider’s greater volume brings them to the surface of the slide, rather than leaving them buried in the debris (think crumbs vs. flakes in a box of cereal). However when wearing airbag packs, it becomes important for us to take a step back and be smart in our backcountry outings. Additionally, we must also be able to see statistics in an accurate light, not just as marketing tactics for airbag manufacturers.

Starting in 2010, the well-known airbag producer ABS conducted a study of airbag effectiveness. With a sample size of 262 potentially life-threatening avalanches, 97% of testers were visible on the snow surface after the slides occurred. The other 3% were killed despite wearing their packs. In the same study (same avalanches), 25% of the 67 people NOT wearing ABS packs died. Basic takeaway from the study: the ABS pack gives you a 22% GREATER survival rate (25% minus 3%).

From in-depth studies like these, we can conclude without doubt that airbags are hugely effective in avalanche safety. But just because you have your new airbag on your back, doesn’t mean you can go out and ski anything you want. Your airbag may bring you to the surface of a slide, but it won’t protect you from terrain traps and natural hazards (rocks, trees, etc.) that take lives via trauma.

There exists a trait within humans called “risk homeostatis”, which tells our brains that with increased safety measures, we should be more liberal in our risk taking. When skiing in the backcountry, we need to continue to be conscious in our decision making, and choose the lines we ski ourselves, rather than have the gear we’re carrying dictate our line selection. The goal of airbag backpacks is to save lives, so if we’re skiing life-threatening zones without hesitation, our increased perception of safety is, in effect, canceling the effectiveness of the airbag pack.

Now this isn’t meant to be a lecture from your annoying professor about the dangers of riding with an airbag, merely a reminder that the terrain doesn’t change just because of the gear we’re carrying. Line selection, safe-spot locating, and basic awareness of our surroundings are all tools we need to keep using when in the backcountry. So let’s continue to push ourselves and progress the sport with the safest gear available to us, just don’t let the gear factor get to your head in deciding what to ride on your next mission. After all you don’t want to end up another statistic for ABS…

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There’s no denying that most ski areas in the Western US had a disappointing ski season.  Resorts in the Rockies, Wasatch, and Tetons captured strong early season snow, but then saw relative dry spells for the typically prime months of February and March, making for a close-to-average total snowpacks.  Meanwhile, the Pacific Ranges got the short end of the stick, leading a handful of California resorts to premature closing dates.

With the buzz lingo surrounding global climate change being more prevalent than ever these days, it was only a matter of time until critics began to squawk about how we’ll never see another winter of strong snowfall again.  Here at SASS, we are shaking our heads, wondering why the hell you’d let yourself think this way?!

First of all, attitude is key.  If you go into a season with a set of expectations that may be broken, you’ll end up being disappointed in a season that even hits par for the course.  Plus, chances are you probably jinxed the snowfall from the beginning by thinking this way.  But let’s turn to the facts.  Over the years, plenty of seasons similar to this one have taken place.  That’s right people, THIS IS NOT ABNORMAL, THESE THINGS HAPPEN.

Bad new first: this will likely continue to happen.  Just as any bell curve will show, below (and above) average snow years will continue.  The good news is that historically, snowfall trends upward after these sub-par seasons.  In the words of Mike Douglas from a recent video he put out on behalf of Whistler Blackcomb, “In the past 40 years, there have been four seasons that have more or less sucked as bad as this one.  Statistics show that each of those years was followed by a season of average, or above average snowfall.”   Not bad, eh?

Yes, global climate change is an issue, and as passionate skiers and snowboarders we should not be in denial about it.  But I’m confident that we’re not at the point where we need to be concerned about our winters just yet.  While the west suffered from thin snowpacks and warm temperatures, the east coast saw their biggest snowfall in years, breaking a few records along the way as well.

Don’t worry, it’s not the apocalypse of winter, we’re just going through the ups and downs of Mother Nature’s moods.  And with Argentina’s snowpack coming in at a below average level last season, this summer could see healthy snowfall in the Southern Hemisphere.  So keep your skis and snowboards waxed, and keep your boots out from the dusty depths of your basement, things could be shaping up nicely for a South America ski trip this summer.

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