Category: Uncategorized

Shredding lines in Antartica

Would you ride Antartica if given the chance? Check out Xavier de Le Rue‘s gnarly sequences on the most “rewarding trip” of his entire career. The film comes out next fall 2013.

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Top 10 Best Places to Ski in South America: #1 Cerro Catedral

Top 10 Best Places to Ski in South America: #1 Cerro Catedral

The snow. The story. The legend. It’s really no surprise after sending tours down to Cerro Catedral for the last nine years, SGT awards this world class resort the highly coveted ‘number one spot’ on our list of ‘Top 10 Best Places to Ski in South America.’ With immediate access to an incredible amount of insane backcountry sweet spots, even the most intrepid backcountry explorer will find enough terrain here to stay occupied for days into weeks into seasons. The extent to which you enjoy the potential of this epic South American ski resort just depends on how much time you have. Catedral has everything: gnarly big mountain faces, couloirs, cliff drops and even wicked tree lines with bottomless powder. In addition to the top quality terrain, snow and breathtaking views, Cerro Catedral also boasts Bariloche (think food, drink and partying with hot girls) just down the road.

Here at SGT, we are basically defiling our underwear right now waiting for the moment when we get to to shred again with the family at Cerro Catedral this summer. Actually, while that’s certainly the case, we’re still taking time to enjoy the moments as they come, killing the waves here in Puerto Rico at the Rincon Surf School. But as much fun as we are having (and you are undoubtedly having) the Argentina backcountry experience  we share with you is honestly the highlight of each year. Here’s to sharing another year of snow massacre this summer!

  • Number of Lifts: 38
  • Proximity to Nearest Major City: 22 km to Bariloche
  • Vert: 1150m (3773)
  • Skiable Terrain: 2965 acres
  • Terrain Park: Yes (snow permitting)
  • Country: Argentina

Check out our program in Argentina!

2012 Session Uno: Snowboard from SASS Global Travel on Vimeo.


Ver Cerro Catedral en un mapa más grande

Best Places to Ski in South America: Las Leñas

Best Places to Ski in South America: Las Leñas

In what can only be described as a ridiculous amount of skiable terrain, Las Leñas offers some of the most badass, grow-hair-on-your-nuts skiing in the southern Hemisphere. Check out the video posted if you don’t believe me. What do you like skiing or riding? If your answer is: skiing off Andean summits into couloirs, off drops and onto gnarly steep descents into oblivion, you should probably stop by Las Leñas at some point in your life journey.

However, there is one thing to consider if you’re considering making the trip. To access the big mountain you must take The Marte lift, which is due to avalanche and snow pack, is not always be open. So look at reports before you go.

  • Number of Lifts: 10
  • Proximity to Nearest Major City: 203 km to San Rafael, 367 km to Mendoza
  • Vert: 1190m (3904 feet)
  • Skiable Terrain: 43,200 acres
  • Terrain Park: No
  • Country: Argentina

Check out our program in Argentina!


View Las Leñas – Point da Neve in a larger map

Best Places to Ski in South America: Portillo

Top 10 Ski Areas in South America: Portillo

As the oldest ski resort in South America, Portillo definitely claims legendary status. Isolated in the Patagonia, visitors must commit to one week of an all inclusive lodge package deal if they wish to stay and ski this epic mountain. This has pros and cons but it means that development is limited to one lodge at the bottom and a multi cultural community environment that is always worth the experience. There could definitely be worse requirements if you ask us. Also, the limited access means more untouched powder and terrain for your selfish enjoyment. Awww yeah!

  • Number of Lifts: 13
  • Proximity to Nearest Major City: 142 km to Santiago
  • Vert: 768m (2486 feet)
  • Skiable Terrain: 14000 acres
  • Terrain Park: Yes
  • Country: Chile

Check out our program in Argentina!


View Chile, Portillo Ski Resort in a larger map

Dr. Crockett Interview Hour: “Sneaky” Pete Connolly

This is Dr. Crockett’s interview hour
Where based on the subject’s intelligence, they are asked a series of questions and then scored on how deeply they searched their soul for the proper answers.

Today’s subject is Pete Connolly. Pete is a guide at SGT Argentina and Silverton Mountain, CO. Pete’s own company Solid Citizen Design handles all of SGT’s graphic design making him the only person on staff that gets to tell Dr. Crockett he is an idiot. Pete is an easy going, tall drink of water from the East coast that snuck into the SGT Family a few years back with a vast skill set and a tireless work ethic. Pete enjoy’s thoughtful conversions, design, music and medium to short brunette ladies.
Mr. Connolly’s questions are:
______________________________________________________________________

View on living in a mountain town?
Wouldn’t live anywhere else. Access to the backcountry without competition is the key. Hence my Silverton residence. Attractive girls can’t be the reason for every decision you make.

Describe SGT Argentina Lodge in one story (not featuring Crockett)?
What happens in the lodge stays in the lodge.

Best x-mas/Kwanza present ever received?
20 pairs of ski socks. There is no such thing as enough ski socks.

Where do you see skiing/snowboarding evolving?
Time will tell. My only hope is that there is further unification between skiing and snowboarding. I am so sick of the unnecessary rift between the two. Old skiers, shut the fuck up. Young snowboarders, who gives a fuck.

Rider of the year:
Anyone that truly fell in love with this sport of ours for the first time. I’m talking that real love though. More that love that makes you push until your heart can’t take it, that love that makes all stress melt away, that love that helps you endure the pain, that love that consumes you and opens your eyes and makes you laugh uncontrollably. Not so much that love that is all, “oh, you’re a skier? Me too… I LOVE skiing… I get out every once in a while… no, I don’t own a beacon… what’s a DIN setting?.. you mean I’m not supposed to carry these with the tips facing behind me?.. do you like spring corn or powder better?.. really, I like corn better…  why are you walking away?”

Video of the year:
Don’t watch many videos due to the fact that they make me insanely jealous to the point of frustration. But just watched Xavier’s White Noise and I dig the particular way he looks at riding and the mountains.

Hottest chick in Snowboarding/Skiing?
Nicki Slechta (damn, that girls has a nice butt)

Dude you want to spend a couple of nights in a tent with?
I’ll sleep next to any dude in a tent as long as it is in Alaska.

Best trend in shredding?
The decreasing rift between skiers and snowboarders.

Last time you crapped your pants?
Less recently than Jon Conway.

Is Travis Moore a kook?
A kook? Not sure. He is one of a kind, that’s for sure. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

Marriage, when is that going to happen?
Seeing as my addiction to skiing has been the end to every recent relationship… not any time soon.

What type of facial hair should Garrett Russell grow next?
He’s been rocking’ that stache for so long it has become a part of him and I wouldn’t change a damn thing about the Garrett Russell I know.

Do you feel like a failure because do not know how the “fiscal cliff” will effect the resale value of your properties?
You think I have enough money for a property, let alone multiple properties?

Any advice for the kiddies?
You can make plenty of money doing what you love as long as you commit. Once you do, everyone will tell you how ‘lucky’ you are. Fuck that. You made it happen. Luck had nothing to do with it.

How often do you fall?
A lady never tells.

State the best of the following:
Grab
Method (just wish there was a straight air grab on skis that looked even moderately as awesome as that shit does on a snowboard)

Trick
Anything smooth off of anything natural

Band
Traffic (listen to low spark of high heeled boys and try to tell me otherwise)

Celebrity
Physically couldn’t care any less (but I will take this opportunity to point out that it is in fact, “couldn’t care less,” not “could care less.” If I “could care less” there would be room for less care, whereas if “I couldn’t care less” then I am devoid of care entirely.)

Beer
Long Trail Ale (holding onto those east-coast roots)

SGT Legend
Jay Ragazino (J-Rags)

Headwear
Coal

Outerwear
TREW

Country (there is a right answer)
The United States of America. Not even moderately kidding. Not saying there aren’t some changes I would like to make, but I have been many places and very much choose to live right here where I have the freedom to be poor as hell and still enjoy every second.

Hair Color
brunette (preferably between 5’1″ and 5’4″)

Do your parents hate your snowboard friends?
My parents are the reason I have skier/snowboard friends. They are the ones that fueled this fire, not my fault.

Biggest cliff you have dropped?
Doesn’t matter how big it is. Its all about style and flow.

Claim your best friend:
Sumner Dickenson Widdoes. Whitest name ever, no idea what to do with snow, but a damn good guy nonetheless.

Better movie Top Gun or Art of Flight?
Top Gun. No question. Art of Flight should have been about 15 minutes. Max.

Are the Red Bull contests legit? Who is going to win in 2013 and why?
Red Bull contests couldn’t be more legit. Its one of the only companies pumping money into this industry in the right way. Letting their athletes set the stage and create the atmosphere is helping to propel the industry and push the limits of what we see as possible.

Lucas Moore, great or greatest ever?
I’m going to go with… all right?.

How many nicknames do you have? Please list them and how you got them?
Sneaky-Pete (Travis Moore, due to my ability to show up out of nowhere and work my way into the job I wanted without anyone noticing)

Pedro (good for radio traffic)

Solid Citizen (Rick Means, due to how physically difficult it was to lift me as a child.)

Last time you were in jail? Why?
19 years old. Thought the justice system would be just and that the judge would be a rational person to whom I could explain the absurdity of the situation. I was just a bit naive to say the least.

Best way to pick up a chick hanging out in front of Tage?
Lean more forward, be more confident, be more aggressive.

What is your greatest accomplishment in life
Getting to where I am today… Multiple jobs doing multiple things that I love while still having the time to push that love even further.

Any advice on how to hook up free drinks at Mute?
Fuck Mute. CHIMANGO’S 2013.

If T-Rice rules big mountain and Terje is the legend of legends then how many miles do you have to ride on your bike to be a man?
No idea how many miles of bike-riding, but you would certainly have to put up some serious vertical in order to compete with those two.

 

Final Score and Rating:

I thank Sneaky for his candor and honesty. In grading Pete I had to explore my soul and react to the knowledge that he maybe better looking then me. After a long look in the mirror and renewed self confidence, I believe that Pete has it. It being height. He is tall and that is his most striking feature. He towers over others imposing his superior high-angle optical skills while simultaneously brandishing his opinions of the world unapologetically.  In the end Pete is a worth adversary and someone to take seriously. With that in mind – 38 Points have been awarded to Pete Connolly.

Waiting for an Answer: Best Day Ever

Nitro dropped a new edit/video today about having fun on your snowboard. Now the boys at Nitro are no dummies. They understand the reason you own a snowboard company is because snowboarding is fun. Riding fresh lines, laughing with friends, and figuring out life’s little problems as you hike, is the magic elixir we all crave. Bringing that feeling of fun to the masses is how you sell the lifestyle and your brand. We at SGT dig that for sure. The video itself is just pure goodness baked up and served warm. Watch it below.

Upon completion of the edit/video or after watching a couple of face shots, depending on your attention span. One tends to reminisce on their best days of shredding. Most of mine are in Argentina, but it is lame to salute the company flag with every breath. Instead I choose to drift off thinking of a powder day at Blue Sky Basin in the Vail back bowls.  Snow dumping, myself and my crew hungry to get to our secret pow stashes.

We are ready to drop off of the back when we get a call for a photographer asking us to wait up because he has a friend with him that needs a little guiding. Deep breathes and looks of impatience ensue, but we agree. Ten minutes later the other crew slides off of the chair lift and introductions occur. One of the three approaches slowly and says “Hi my name is Kazu, is it cool if I ride with you?’ Seriously, it is really Kazu Kokubo and yes he can ride with us. The rest off the day was powder turns, cliff drops, tomahawks and agape mouths as we laughed our way around Vail. As we headed down for a slice in the village at the end of the day, I could not stop smiling because no one else had any idea how good my day was.

Summer 2012 Preview Video

2012 SGT Argentina is only days away from dropping cliffs and crushing powder in Bariloche. The staff and coaches are starting to head down south and the clients arrive on the 25th of July. Here is a glance at what is to come for 2012 with a quick look back at serious slashing, skiing and snowboarding, featuring new bookends from our friends at Levitation Project.

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