The North Face

Apr 05 | First Freeride World Championship for Juniors LIVE Saturday and Sunday

By The North Face

The First ever Junior Freeride World Championships presented by The North Face kicks off tomorrow 

The best juniors from Europe will join their North American friends to compete at the Junior Freeride World Championships by The North Face tomorrow at Snowbird in Ski Resort in Utah. Freeride Junior events were organized in Europe in Chamonix Mont-Blanc, FRA (January 26), Fieberbrunn-Pillerseetal, AUT (March 9) and Verbier, SUI (March 23).

In addition to excellent on-site viewing, a live webcast of the event will be available HERE on Saturday April 5th and Sunday April 6th.

 

Mar 20 | SWATCH XTREME VERBIER 2013 BY THE NORTH FACE® RESCHEDULED TO FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2013!

By The North Face

Due to a storm predicted to hit the Verbier St Bernard region on Saturday, the SWATCH XTREME VERBIER 2013 BY THE NORTH FACE® has been rescheduled to take place one day earlier than announced on Friday, March 22. The final confirmation of the new schedule, including exact competition and live feed timing will be announced on Wednesday morning on www.freerideworldtour.com.

Verbier and the fabled “Bec des Rosses” is considered the pinnacle of freeride competitions. The contest was originally scheduled for Saturday, but with a southwest front coming in predicted to stay over the next week, organizers today decided to advance the competition to Friday, March 22.

Due to the extreme nature of the terrain, only the best 12 male skiers, six male snowboarders, five female skiers and four female snowboarders from the 2013 FWT are qualified for the finals on the steeps of Bec des Rosses. In addition, a few exciting wild cards will join the roster including three-time world snowboard champion Xavier de Le Rue (FRA) and five-time Xtreme winner Steve Klassen (USA) in the male snowboard division, as well as Stefan Haeusl (AUT), Aurélien Ducroz (FRA), Samuel Anthamatten (SUI) and Seb Michaud (FRA) in the male skiers. In the snowboard category, upcoming talent and local rider Estelle Ballet (SUI) will also take part in the competition on her home mountain. Crystal Wright (USA) and Lorraine Huber (AUT), actual leader of the FWQ ranking also got the chance to ski the Bec in the female ski category.

Webcast available below starting Friday morning!

 

Mar 18 | Sam Elias :: Ice Cold in Ouray

By The North Face

In January Sam Elias went to the 18th annual Ouray Ice Festival.  Here's what he had to say:

It’s always the very first climbing event of the New Year, and one that I have had the privilege to attend 5 times now. This one seemed the coldest and the busiest for me. I arrived on Wednesday night, and on Thursday I had a 30 minute time slot to preview the first half of the difficulty competition route, as did all the competitors. In addition, I gave the evening presentation that night, which is known as “local’s night.”

I am grateful for everyone that was in attendance to hear the story of my climbing background to the recent Everest expedition. Friday, I taught 2 different clinics, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Saturday was the difficulty competition, and Sunday was the speed competition. The weather was pretty mild on Thursday, but for the rest of the festival the daily high temperature was in the single digits and mostly cloudy. There were some periods of snow and some periods when the sun was out, making for a full value experience. It’s a special event in that it’s a communing of The Tribe in a New year – a chance to see old friends and make new ones, and wish them well for the year to come.

The North Face contingent was strong this year with both athletes, and employees from several departments. Athlete team captain Conrad Anker was there to teach clinics, and MC the competitions. Emily Harrington was on hand to teach clinics and compete in both comps. She took 3rd in the difficulty, and 4th in speed, missing the podium by a mere second. Heidi Wirtz and Cory Richards both taught clinics, and Cory gave a presentation on Saturday evening.

It’s a real pleasure for us all to have been there together to support what is the biggest ice climbing festival in North America. Until next year…

Mar 09 | The North Face Park and Pipe Open at Northstar Preview and Live Feed

By The North Face

The fourth and final 2013 season stop of The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series (PPOS) will take place March 8-10 at Northstar California Resort in Lake Tahoe March. Top professional and upcoming freeskiers will battle it out in two days of slopestyle qualifiers March 8 & 9 before the finals on Sun., March 10. Sunday’s competition will be webcast live starting with the men’s semifinals at 9:30am PST and available for viewing right here! The stream will also be broadcast on Lake Tahoe Television, which is on channels 12, 13, 14, 219 and 220 South Lake Tahoe, CA.

Follow the North Face Park and Pipe Open Series on Facebook,

facebook.com/thenorthfaceppos, and @TNFParkandPipe, #PPOS on Twitter.

Mar 07 | The North Face Park and Pipe Open Hits Northstar This Weekend

By The North Face

 

The fourth and final 2013 season stop of The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series (PPOS) will take place March 8-10 at Northstar California Resort in Lake Tahoe March. Top professional and upcoming freeskiers will battle it out in two days of slopestyle qualifiers March 8&9 before the finals on Sun., March 10. Sunday’s competition will be webcast live starting with the men’s semifinals at 9:30am PST and available for viewing on http://thenorthfaceppos.com/. The stream will also be broadcast on Lake Tahoe Television, which is on channels 12, 13, 14, 219 and 220 South Lake Tahoe, CA.

Media outlets interested in hosting the webcast should contact Mountain Sports International Communications and Marketing Director Jessica Kunzer at jkunzer@mtsports.com or 801.647.2510 for web codes and additional information.

The event is sanctioned by the Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) and is an International Ski Federation (FIS) NORAM CUP event. Athletes will earn FIS and AFP points at Northstar California Resort. The PPOS event schedule at Northstar California Resort will be as follows:

EVENT SCHEDULE

Thursday March 7	Athlete check-in and practice
9 - 4pm	Athlete/Media Check In - Laurel/Martis Room
10 - 3pm	Practice Inspection
4pm	Mandatory Athlete Meeting - Laurel/Martis Room
Friday March 8	Men's Park Qualifier heats 1 & 2
9 - 4pm	Athlete/Media Check In - Laurel/Martis Room
8:30 - 9am	Practice Inspection - Heat 1
9:15-11:15am	Mens Qualifiers - Heat 1 (top 6 advance to semis)
11:15-11:45am	Practice Inspection - Heat 2
12-2pm	Mens Qualifiers - Heat 2 (top 6 advance to semis)
5-5:30pm	Mandatory Athlete Meeting - Laurel/Martis Room
Saturday March 9	Ladies/Men's Park Qualifier heats 3 & 4
9am-4pm	Athlete/Media Check In - Laurel/Martis Room
8:30-9am	Practice Inspection - Ladies
9:15-10:30am	Ladies Qualifiers (top 12 advance to finals)
10:30-11am	Practice Inspection - Heat 3
11:15-1:15pm	Mens Qualifiers - Heat 3 (top 6 advance to semis)
1:15-1:45pm	Practice Inspection - Heat 4
2-4pm	Mens Qualifiers - Heat 4 (top 6 advance to semis)
5-5:30pm	Mandatory Athlete Meeting - Laurel/Martis Room
6:15pm	"The Eighty Six" a film by Nick Martini and Stept Productions will be premiered in front of The North Face Store - Northstar Village
7pm	Poster signing and chance to meet TNF athletes Nick Martini and Devin Logan at The North Face Store - Northstar Village
7am-9pm	Live music with DJ Digital on the Village Stage
Sunday March 10	Men's Park Semis/Ladies and Men Park Finals/Awards
9am-4pm	Athlete/Media Check In - Laurel/Martis Room
8:30-9:30am	Practice Inspection
9:30-11:30am	Mens Semi Finals (top 12 advance to finals)
11:45am-12:45pm	Ladies Finals
1-2:30pm	Mens Finals
4pm	Awards Ceremony - The North Face Store - Northstar Village

Follow the North Face Park and Pipe Open Series on Facebook,

facebook.com/thenorthfaceppos, and @TNFParkandPipe, #PPOS on Twitter.

Feb 26 | Free Ride World Tour Hits Kirkwood Tomorrow

By The North Face

Make sure to tune in LIVE on Wednesday February 27th at 9am PST!

Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thenorthface and Twitter using #FWT13

The fourth stop of the SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face 2013 (FWT) continues its season of exciting global big mountain freeride competition stateside at Kirkwood, California, USA on Feb. 27, 2013. The competition can be witnessed from anywhere in the world via live webcast available the day of competition on www.freerideworldtour.com. The first possible day of competition is schedule for Feb. 27 with a weather window extending to March 3.

"It comes as no surprise that Kirkwood has been having a very snowy first half of the season. Conditions are setting up the mountain to have prime coverage needed for this event," observed FWT Americas Competition Director Bryan Barlow.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort's big mountain venue, The Cirque, is the ideal location for the fourth stop of the 2013 FWT. The Cirque is comprised of exposed, steep and raw terrain, which is permanently closed to the general public, allowing for a unique and exciting North American freeride venue.

"With unmatched inbounds terrain and some of the deepest snow in the country, Kirkwood is an appropriate choice as the only U.S. stop for the Freeride World Tour," said Casey Blann, Kirkwood's general manager. "This event really solidifies our position as one of the premier big mountains in the country, and I personally can't wait to see these athletes tackle The Cirque."

On its fourth stop for the season, competition amongst the deeply talented international athlete field is heating up. The tour started with a roster of 36 prequalified male skiers, 14 male snowboarders, 14 female skiers and seven female snowboarders. The 2013 FWT features five stops for male skiers and snowboarders, and four stops for female skiers and snowboarders before a cut will be made for the SWATCH Xtreme Verbier in Switzerland. After the fifth stop in Fieberbrunn, Austria, the top three results out of five events for men and the top three results out of four events for women will be used to qualify riders for Verbier and the 2014 FWT.

Tahoe area local and 2012 Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Champion Josh Daiek is looking forward to competing at his home mountain this season. 

"I'm simply stoked for the competition to be at Kirkwood!" said Daiek. "It has some of the most fun terrain and is one of the best competition venues in the world."

Feb 19 | The North Face Masters of Snowboarding 2013 Squaw Valley Highlights

By The North Face

The 4-star competition of The North Face Masters of Snowboarding presented by PrimaLoft was a pleasure for spectators with dynamic and creative lines abound in spring break weather. Ruari MacFarlane out of Mount Olympus, New Zealand and Squaw Valley local Iris Lazzareschi were crowned Masters Champions of a highly competitive field consisting of 16 females and 53 men.

  

Athletes Featured: Rosemarie Daiek, Christopher Galvin, Marissa Krawczak, Casey Lucas, Colin Boyd, Moss Halladay, Hans Mindich, Ryan Hudson, Sammy Luebke, Irish Lazzareschi and Ruari McFarlane.

Music credit: "What you know" by Hot Noize

Feb 19 | MacFarlane and Lazzareschi crowned 4-star Champions at The North Face Masters of Snowboarding at Squaw Valley

By The North Face

Ryan Hudson Wins A-Rob Award

The 4-star competition of The North Face Masters of Snowboarding presented by PrimaLoft was a pleasure for spectators with dynamic and creative lines abound in spring break weather. Ruari MacFarlane out of Mount Olympus, New Zealand and Squaw Valley local Iris Lazzareschi were crowned Masters Champions of a highly competitive field consisting of 16 females and 53 men.  

"Today was impressive because there was so much hard charging on really tough conditions," said Masters Head Judge Jim Zellers. "The riders really exceeded our expectations. They played it smart and rode some lines I honestly did not think could be done today."

Ruari MacFarlane's run started with a clean 360 at the top. He maintained a fluid high speed run down the looker's right side of the venue hitting numerous airs. McFarlane then proceeded to charge off a huge cliff in a highly technical area and sailed into the finish. The judges applauded his performance with a high score of 89.33.

Rounding out the men's podium in second place was Sammy Luebke with a score of 85.00. Luebke's run delighted the crowded as he actually started by scurrying up the ridge and quickly dropping into huge frontside 360. He then brought his run back under control maintaining fluidity through a very technical section. Luebke finished his run with a solid backside 360. 

In third place, Hans Mindich may have executed one of the most unconventional runs in Masters' history earning an 83.67 score. Mindich dropped into his run switch executing a backside 180 near the top. He continued to ride the majority of his very fast line switch accelerating a backside 180 off a large cliff on the looker's right side of the venue. In addition to a podium spot, Mindich was recognized as the Young Gun of the event-a tradition which celebrates a rider under 21 rider who demonstrates raw talent, an innovative riding style and exemplifies true sportsmanship and passion for the mountains.

In the women's field, Iris Lazzareschi, hit a solid cliff at the top which continued to be her namesake throughout the competition. She rode a fluid run integrating many air and style elements including a half-cab and grabs. Lazzareschi's run earned her a high score of 85.00. 

"Iris really stomped her run top to bottom with solid airs on the top and consistency the whole way through," said judge Andy Finch. "She really showed control in challenging conditions."

In second place, Kirkwood local Casey Lucas ripped her run linking very clean and fast turns. Also on the women's podium in third place, Marisa Krawczak, who claims Nubs Nob, MI as her home mountain, absolutely pointed it out of the gate and maintained dynamite speed her entire run.  

Ryan Hudson was given the A-Rob awarded for tackling two massive cliffs despite falling during the landing of the first. The A-Rob award is in honor and memory of the late Master's champion Aaron Robinson. The A-Rob award captures the spirit of the community and desire to explore the mountains.

The North Face Masters is part of the Freeride World Qualifier system. FWQs are rated on a 1 to 4-star scale with competitors earning more or less points at events according to venue difficulty and scale, competitive pool and other factors. The Masters is the top-level qualifier event and a pivotal step for athletes hoping to advance to the SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face.

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding is presented by PrimaLoft and supported by Subaru of America, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Mountain Sports International, Snowboard magazine, Clif Bar, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.

 

 

Feb 15 | The Masters of Snowboarding on the Steeps of Tahoe

By The North Face

Today's Masters of Snowboarding is ready to launch in Tahoe... Get ready and get stoked with this video.

 

Tomorrow's 4-star competition at Squaw Valley will be webcast live starting at 10AM PST and available at  www.thenorthfacemasters.com.    

Feb 14 | The Masters of Snowboarding 2013

By The North Face

Friday is the 2013 Masters of Snowboarding LIVE from Squaw! 

Watch the show live starting at 10am on Friday February 15th!  For all the action check here:

http://www.thenorthfacemasters.com/live/

The 2-star competition of The North Face Masters of Snowboarding presented by PrimaLoft concluded today under sunny skies at Alpine Meadows. The venue conditions were firm but chalky providing many fun features and technical lines for athletes. Harry Kearney of Telluride, CO and Mary Boddington out of Crested Butte, CO took top honors at the event.  

"The riders impressively managed adverse and variable snow conditions throughout today's competition," said judge Rob Kingwill. "It takes a lot of experience and skill to maintain control while executing difficult tricks and fluid speeds on this type of snow. At the same time, the athletes really pushed the progression of big mountain snowboarding choosing creative and highly technical lines."

Harry Kearney took the men's first place position with a score of 82.00. Kearney chose to tackle the incredibly technical Castle Chute. He rode a flawless line through the chute maintaining fluidity and control throughout the maneuver. He punctuated his stellar performance with a back flip off a jump near the finish.

Rounding out the men's podium in second place was Squaw Valley local Gregory Terziev with a score of 79.67. Terziev rode a smooth line on the looker's right side of the venue executing a 180 off a knob near the top. Jonathan Penfield, from nearby Northstar California Resort, clinched the men's third place finish with a score of 79.00. The judges particularly enjoyed the huge backside 360 Penfield threw off a large cliff near the bottom of the venue.

In the women's field, Mary Boddington charged straight down the fall line with a nice clean air at the top. She continued her run with fast fluid turns and a second air in the middle. A method grab at the bottom of her run was the icing on the cake and earned a score of 86.00.

In second place, was first time Masters competitor Claudia Laflamme out of Fernie, B.C. with a score of 83.00. Claudia rode an aggressive line through the trees hitting a number of features along the way. Also on the women's podium in third place, Lizzy Beerman out of Snowbird, Utah linked nice carving turns from top to bottom earning a score of 68.33.

Three women and five men total earned competition spots in tomorrow's 4-star event at Squaw Valley. Heightening the excitement of their wins, both Kearney and Boddington advanced. Joining Kearney on the list of advancing men are Jerry Mark, Zeerip Zepplin, Jake Larue and Dave Trout. Claudia LaFlamme and Brithany Thomson will also join Boddington tomorrow at Squaw Valley. 

The North Face Masters is part of the Freeride World Qualifier system. FWQs are rated on a 1 to 4-star scale with competitors earning more or less points at events according to venue difficulty and scale, competitive pool and other factors. The Masters is the top-level qualifier event and a pivotal step for athletes hoping to advance to the SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face.

Tomorrow's 4-star competition at Squaw Valley will be webcast live starting at 10AM PST and available at  www.thenorthfacemasters.com.    

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding is presented by PrimaLoft and supported by Subaru of America, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Mountain Sports International, Snowboard magazine, Clif Bar, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.