You have a reputation for hucking enormous cliffs with abandon.  When do you know it’s going to be okay to casually huck a cork 1080 off an enormous cliff?

I do my best to have a good idea of what the snowpack is doing, and when things are stacked up just right you can go pretty large as long as there’s a relatively steep landing.  The best situation is a bit of fluff on top of progressively denser layers, with no thick crusts or hard layers to smack as you blast into through the snowpack.  For the bigger airs I like to have a look at it from multiple angles to make sure the trajectory from the take-off will put you in a good place, as well as do some probing in the landing to make sure the snow is stacked up correctly and there aren’t any rocks lurking below the surface.

You ski smooth.  Name three skiers that inspire you to keep your hands from rolling down the windows.

Eric Pollard, Paul Kimbrough, Sage Cattabriga-alosa

Has anyone ever told you you’re weird?

Yes.  Pretty much everyone I have ever met thinks I’m weird and has told me so.  It’s better than being boring.

“…I don’t think I’m necessarily all that rad of a skier.”  Good, because we were wondering what all the hype was about.  Ben Sturgulewski/Sweetgrass photo

What is your approach to the ski industry and sponsors, being on the quieter end of the athlete spectrum?

I just try to let my skiing speak for itself… I don’t think I’m necessarily all that rad of a skier, so I I’m not trying to tell people I am.  I just to my best to keep a strong work ethic, build a good working relationship with photogs, filmers, and sponsors, and stay on top of my shit as much as possible to keep any “pain in the ass factor” of working with me to a minimum.  Above all I try not to take things too seriously… from a conceptual standpoint, the modern sport of skiing is one of the goofiest, weirdest, most nonsensical activities to engage in, so it should always come down to fun.

What is one thing that mountain bike culture does better than ski culture? 

Mountain biking does a better job a creating a community of riders that inherently gives back to the local riding community as a whole.  This is because the majority of trails, dirt jumps, and riding spots are built and maintained entirely by the local riders, instead of taking place primarily at mega resorts or middle of nowhere mountains, where there is no real construction or maintenance by the everyday skier to keep things ride able.  In most biking communities it is assumed that if you are riding someplace on a regular basis, you pick up a shovel from time to time and do some work to keep it as good or better than it was before you rode it.  It just adds a cool bit of additional community feel to the sport.

The mountain nerds at Patagonia are exactly that: mountain nerds through and through, but in the best esome way possible.  They obsess over every detail of how to make their products the best they possibly can (almost to a fault), and try to produce them in the most conscious, non-harmful way possible.  Not to mention that every single person I have met there is super genuine, friendly, easy to work with, and loves time spent in the outdoors.

Ben Sturgulewski/Sweetgrass photo

Carston Oliver is weird.  On a four-hour road trip from Salt Lake to Jackson Hole, I think he spoke for a total of ten minutes, spending most of the ride chewing on strange Japanese snacks and insanely hot peppers instead.  Much quieter than the average GoPro-ing professional skier these days, Carston lets his skiing on film for Sweetgrass Productions do the talking (*overused analogy #1).  But as quiet as he can be, it’s been hard to keep a low profile when you throw cork 1080s off 70 foot cliffs and never roll the windows down no matter how big the cliff.  When he finally crawled out of his tent in Alaska and found his computer in a pile of fried squid snacks he left in Haines, he politely answered our pointed questions.

Everyone at the Powder Week (Powder Magazine’s ski testing week at Jackson Hole) closing party was pounding beers and you were in the corner tucking Thai chili peppers under your tongue.  Could you explain your unique nightlife strategy?

I don’t mind partying every now and then, but like to keep things from getting too sloppy, so the nonstop alcohol binge that is Powder week was a bit much for me at times. As a result, I would fall back to my default addiction to capsaicin (the chemical that makes your mouth feel like it’s on fire when you eat hot peppers).   A little dip of Thai chillis will keep energy levels up so you can stay out late and try to keep up with all the party people, but without having to deal with the pounding headache or regrettable decisions once the morning rolls around.  You can sometimes get into a pretty funny headspace after 6 hours or so of maintaining a nonstop, rolling burn.

Carston in Argentina with Sweetgrass in 2010 and 2011.

What seems like a better time to you: helping Kristi Leskinen get her bra on, or helping JP Auclair fix a flat of a 4×4 van in Japan?

If we’re only looking at the immediate situation, definitely helping Kristi get her bra on, as I would hope I had something to do with it being off in the first place.  What dude would say no to that?

If we’re looking slightly outside of the immediate, minor inconvenience of fixing a flat, consider the events likely to transpire before and after this repair given its location, then I would rather be helping JP.  The never-ending powder vortex that is typical of the Japanese Alps in winter, incredible food, rich culture, and super cool locals are pretty impossible to turn down.  Not to mention that all that goodness could likely be capped off with mandatory few days in Tokyo with its bright flashing lights, crazy energy, and the ubiquity of hot Japanese girls wearing short skirts and FMB’s.                                                                                                        

What parts of the ski industry have never been appealing or enticing for you?

I’m not a fan of those who are into excessive bro-talk, male posturing, and spray what sickness they get into long after they get off the hill.  I love skiing and have dedicated a huge portion of my life to it, but I don’t need to talk about it 24-7 and I don’t care how rad you are and that you’re the sickest shredder on the hill.  If you’re having fun and creating genuine good experiences for yourself and your buddies, that’s all that matters. Although, I guess that’s more ski culture than ski industy, but there is some crossover.

I also have trouble with the fact that heavy drinking is often so deeply ingrained into the ski industry and ski culture.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind partying every now and again and there’s nothing wrong with grabbing a drink or two to chill out at the end of the day, but the skiing itself is what’s important to me and I would rather avoid sending it at the bar so I can feel good in the mornings and go shred.  It’s sometimes tough that every single ski industry event seems to be highlighted by late nights of boozing and bro-ing down at some bar/club/party.

Carston, being a pro skier.  Ben Sturgulewski/Sweetgrass photo

What is your favorite part about being a pro skier?

My favorite part is that it makes skiing actually affordable, and it gives me a justification for skiing as much as possible and traveling all winter.

Despite your current lack of schooling, you have stated publicly that you want to get a degree in mechanical engineering.  Congratulations, aspiring nerd.  What makes you want to get a college education and why engineering specifically?

I’ve always been a bit of a nerd, and I actually already got a small start on the college education.  I had a full ride scholarship to the University of Utah out of high school, and at first chose mechanical enginerding somewhat arbitrarily when I felt pressure to pick a major… I just thought it fit because I was good at math and liked to build things.

To make a long story short, I ended up trying to balance school and my addiction to outdoor activities for a couple years by almost cutting out sleep entirely and got burned out.  I decided to take a break until I feel like I’m in a position where I can actually focus on my education and retain the knowledge being passed to me, instead of simply cramming stuff into my head to meet deadlines and pass tests, then forgetting it all the next week.  Initially I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stick with engineering or change focus, but in my time off I have realized that when I go back it would be a good move to finish up the engineering degree, seeing as much of my time off of the skis/bike is spent in my garage tinkering with my gear to try to make it better anyways.

Your roadtrip snacks consist of weird ethnic food Luke Jacobson doesn’t have the stomach to try.  What are three snacks normal skiers have never heard of they should pack along for any road trip?

Stock up for your next road trip…

Saki Ika: Basically squid jerky… the hot and spicy or the wasabi flavors are best.

Spicy Nori: Roasted seaweed …Tao Kae Noi’s kimchi flavor is my favorite.  You can eat strips of grilled seaweed like potato chips but they’re way better.

Mochi: A pastry made from glutinous rice. It’s best if it’s relatively fresh and gooey… I usually go for the basic kind with a red bean paste filling, but you can get find all sorts of sweets and ice creams stuffed inside them.

What would you do during recess as a kid?

I was usually either playing soccer with my friends or trying to do front flips into a pile of woodchips by myself.

Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow…

Are people in general cool with you jibbing shit outside of the guy who said he’d “fuck your neck?”

We get everything from love to hate, appreciation to death threats. Quotes from randoms at street sessions: “OMG you guys are so cool can I suck your dizznicks?” “Do you know Tom Wallisch?” “Can you backflip?” “Are you guys in Field Productions?” “You suck, go home” “Chrischna? Chriiiischna? CHRISHNA!!!… ??”

Where are most of the street spots we see in the videos?

 Mostly in the streets.  Around corners and beyond the 5^th dimension. We usually just walk around with our gear until we find something to hit.

What are the plans for this season?

 Go faster then Peder Bergsland. He is the superfastest. And doing tons of firecrackers, kerrrrrrawwz.

Some of the first shots of Chris Helburg from the 2012 season.  Filmed by Herman Fjøss at Tryvann, Norway.

Who is the weirdest member of HappyPro?

 Knut Myrvold, he is so weird, so we never feature him. He always brings a bag of shit to the sessions, and calls the local media telling them he has knitted purses for his hats. But he makes really nice purses, and is a ton of fun(eral).

Who do you look up to, in skiing or outside of it, who makes movies?

 Gaspar Noe, Quentin Terrantino, Traveling Circus, Videograss and Kasper Häggstrøm (Ducksjen).

Whats the resort/park scene like in Norway – is urban as big in Norway as in the States?

 Except for Fonna in the summer, and Vierli in the winter, everything is pretty much like crap compared to the States park wise. A lot of kids are out in the streets getting shots, stacking bangers and passing high fives though.

Your favorite feature in Final Cut Pro?

 Star transition, earthquake, 10,000 speed, random footage to put over other random footage and stuff. And of course the rampin’. Peeuureh.

Magnus Støre 2010/2011.

If there is any spot in the US you guys could go to and film, where would you go?

Chad’s Gap (frontflip), Pyramids Gap (switch 180 octograb), Mt. Hood and the Bone Zone (switch 360 on, sw 50-50, hangup, switch backflip off.)

Dumbest thing in skiing right now?

 Urbans, shiftys, Nimbus, tailgrabs, trannys, random rap-quotes, ramped slow-mo, speedin’,
gaps, one-foots, good times, Candide Thovex, high fives, ‘Fonna, switch backflips, cutting liftlines, “hater juice”, fisheye, followcams, breakin’ bottles, USB, BroBomb, Spatziba, beers, trains past rail queues, Even Sigstad, Logan Imlach, Max Hill and stuff.

Sweetest thing in skiing right now?

Bene Mayr, Bobby brown, Olympics, fish-hats, being all over the skis in doubles, 270-switchup-switchup-switchup-switchup-pretzel-k-fed-double cork 810 off, slow motion, epic backdrops, helis, 50-50 fs 180, Russ Henshaw, Matchstick, Rich kids that acts like Rick Rou$$, the bouss. Head-between-the-knees-rideaway, sunsets, contests, dance hall, Kya Bamba, people doing crooked backflips claiming to do a flatspin, RED cameras, Ski kids that hate on snowboarders, Sammy Carlsons bird steeze (but hey, we´re all about the bird steeze, really!), Kevin Rollands changing of glove sponsor (?) and skiing in general. Hurray.

Here’s a little something to help you get to know Oslo’s own Devin-the-Dude-loving 12 year olds–the HappyPro crew. The Scandos behind one of our favorite web series, the TrashParty, were kind enough to answer some questions (foreignisms left in tact). After all, “real gangsters hang out in Mogadishu. ‘Nuff said.”

All questions answered jointly by Magnus Støre, Chris Helberg and Henrik Nordviste.

Where did you get your start filming?

The Trashparty is just a descendant from HappyPro. A couple of friends just started filming in the local resort, it evolved over the years, and our last movie, Dio, came out in 2010. We had made 5 movies, and were keen to try something new. Trying to force a whole season of diverse shredding into 20 minutes is hard, and we wanted to switch things up. Making season 1 of TP was awesome, and we are superstoked on season 2.

How would you describe your editing style?
We get a lot of inspiration from skate flicks, so we use a lot of fisheye, weird slowmo on weird things and try to make things fast and honest without all the schlomo scripted blogging. Music wise, we just use whatever we find fitting, and the music we listen to.

Chris Helberg, one-foot Oslo mission.

Did you guys jib flat-ass public parks before you had a camera, or only once you started filming?

Norway, despite of having tons of snow, hasn’t really figured out how to make a banging terrain park. Especially in the Oslo area, where we live, we have been forced to find our own shred, just finding and hitting up random trannies, rails, boxes, benches, trash cans and pretty much everything we could find.

Where did you get the idea to start filming the episodes and where did the name “TrashParty” come from?

We just wanted to try something new. Daniel and Chris were just talking in English, like they usually do (haha) and the name came up. But now it’s quite fitting.

None of you have any facial hair and all look like you’re 15. How old are you guys?

We are actually 12, so thank you. Magnus has 17 ½ pubes and counting.

Are your Euro sponsors helping financially at all at this point? How hard it is to get sponsors in your scene?

Not at the moment. A big shout out to Burn and O’Neill who has helped us with some camera gear and travel expenses. Since we both consist of snowboarders and skiers, we have some trouble finding sponsors that are supportive of both communities. But we don’t really have a need for infinite $$$. We’re pretty low budget, so as long as we can keep shredding with friends while having fun, we’re all good. You don’t need thousands of dollars to hit street rails. People who think you need dollies, cranes, cable-cams and RED cameras to get enders are ignorant.

Daniel, tailgrabbin’ swag for the snowboarders.

In the States it’d be pretty hard to put out a webisode with both skiing and snowboarding in it at the same time, even though a lot of us ski with snowboarders all the time. What’s the ski/snowboard vibe like in Norway?

If they find it hard to film a day of shredding with their friends, whether it be skiers or snowboarders, and post it on Vimeo or something, they need to learn a thing or two about cameras and computers. There will always be haters, but overall the vibe is good over here. Haters gonna hate, but we don’t give a finger.

What does “BET” stand for?

Bitches equals tits?

Is it just us or skiing in skinny jeans and without poles just way more kosher in Scandinavia?

Skinny jeans equals mad speed. Plus, our definition of gangsters doesn’t involve paying loads of money for equipment, lift passes and mountain condos to spend your weekends on the mountains breathing fresh air surrounded by rich people. Real gangsters hang out in Mogadishu. ‘Nuff said.

Have you guys ever tried to meet up with the Nipwitz crew?

TrashParty to Nipwitz: “Yo, wanna do a collab this winter?”
Nipwitz to TrashParty: “We haven’t made plans for the season yet, but we’ll be in touch.“
Still waiting for the reply…

In the 6th episode, which came out this summer, you guys were up at Folgafonna, which seemed like the Norwegian version of Mt. Hood. What is the scene like there in the summer, who was the older dude who tried to shut down whatever party you were having, and where did you all learn to play beer pong?

The scene at Folgefonna is just awesome. It’s just a bunch of people living in tents, hanging out, drinking beer and having a bangin’ session with 30 guys. Shit gets real yo. But for reals: Fonna is the best time of the year. Emil Fossheim (the MAN) and the Mushroom crew is up there all summer long making sure the park is always perfect. Every day, after a long day of shredding, we go down to the camp and have the most epic hang out with friends. Swimming, skating, BBQing, spooning, volleyballin´, guitar shredding and every day, epic partying.

The owners of the camping get sick and tired of it after just a couple of days, and sent the “hitman” to shut down our party. Emil grinded him, and he left. As you can see from the episode, Emil became the tribe leader, and convinced every one to have a huge beer pong tournament, only to dive and smash the table minutes after. Folgefonna style, yo.

When did you start whispering rap lines in a creepy voice during follow-cam runs?

Gangster rap made us do it…

What’s the biggest rapper to come to Oslo and did you see them live?

Oral Bee, but the age limit was 15 so we didn’t get in there, up in here.

Did you write all the text in the videos in English with the hope that one day all us Americans would be watching?

Yes, please.

What’s the newest in Scando freeski fashion this season?

Shredding mad fast with capes. Shit is real. Seems that 10 layers of 9XL tall tees still is a hit.

How long have you been fluent in English?

Kids in Norway start learning English in school at the age of 7. Plus, when we talk to each other we mostly just recite Devin the Dude lyrics.

Are you guys all getting mad bitches now with your internet fame?

We usually go for sane bitches. Chris gets none.

 Stay tuned for Part 2…

The Garrett Russell Experience. G-Funk. Garrett. Even if we all call him by different names, we can all rejoice in the fact that Garrett Russell is BACK. After sitting out last season rehabbing a torn ACL, chopping carrots, and drinking whiskey in Telluride, Garrett is back on his feet with a clean bill of health. 

While Garrett got his ski legs back under him in Argentina this summer when he wasn’t throwing his GoPro snake at me, he was mostly ferrying around 15 year olds from Long Island and soul shredding.  Now with the first video evidence of Garrett’s park ninjaship on the internet, I figured it was time to check in.

Brobomb: How’s your knee feeling these days?

Garrett: The knee is feeling great!  It’s this damn collarbone that doesn’t feel so well.  Just broke it last week at Northstar.  I would tell you how, but can’t remember… guess it might be time to wear a helmet now. Concussions are a headache.

Best thing about being back on skis?

I would have to say the best thing about being on skis is anticipating the good days when and if it will ever snow.  Nothing beats a deep storm day with a couple of friends or solo in the mountains.

Best meal you’ve cooked on a camp stove?

All the ones I’ve made while floating down the Grand Canyon… I wouldn’t  be able to remember just one or any of them I just know those taste the best after long days on the river.

What motivated you to move to Tahoe for this winter?

A  combination of things.  One, is no longer having the Alta Lakes Observatory in the family to take care of and maintain… good thing is that it’s in great hands and when I’m ready will be back to help with whatever.  Second, is the Mountain of Telluride was lacking appreciation of its homegrown talent and felt separated from the community. We used to have an insane park. Plus the person who is running the show I have no respect for, Dave Riley.  Third, I supposedly will be coaching at Sierra Nevada College for students who are interested in an experience that makes them understand skiing safely and creatively.  That starts January 20th.

Best thing about Tahoe so far?

Dinner Parties, plus the many new and old faces.  Also having access to four different mountains with sick parks and terrain for only around $800.   And getting involved with Search and Rescue.

Toughest thing you’ve had to do to keep skiing?

I think the toughest thing I’ve had to do keep skiing was not ski for a year after fucking up my ACL and having surgery.  I’ve gained a lot of respect for the many who have endured this and came back to slaughter it!

Who do you look up to the most in skiing?

I look up to the people you’ve probably never heard of… just people to whom shredding is their life, they love and appreciate it, doing whatever it takes to be in the mountains.  Most of them are guides and some are writers who share amazing stories or photographers who BBQ atop mountains waiting and hiking up whatever in anticipation of getting the shot.  My friends.

Favorite moment from this summer in Argentina?

I would say my favorite moment this summer was the day before I left Bariloche.  I survived the season.  Being responsible for fulfilling people’s expectations, friends vacations, and guiding in a foreign country can be quite heavy.  Not even a volcano stopped the family of SGT.  My dad had made it down to visit after not leaving the country since Vietnam and made it safely from Bariloche to Panama, which was my next destination.

I was chilling on the beach with my brother, friend Mauri Cambilla and his girlfriend Steph when it all hit me.  What a fucking insane experience the previous three months have been.  Fuck, the past seven years of endless winter intertwined with how many people I’ve been able to share the dream of living life freely as a skier.

What’s your attitude on drinking, drugs, and skiing?

I once asked an old friend and owner of a ski shop Bob how he’s done it.  Years of being involved in the scene from back in the 70′s to now and still be able to party hard and ski hard.  He responded the ski world is a party you just need to go with it and know your place in it… something like that.

Skiing is surrounded by partying like it’s its own culture.  The people in the industry like it, the gapers who travel to ski love it, and most athletes imitate rock starts.  Just do your best to keep yourself heathy, stay away from hard drugs, don’t drink and drive (not being allowed into Canada fucking blows) and use your head!

Best thing in skiing these days?

The best thing in skiing these days is the gear…  Its changed the sport a lot.  How long you can ski without using too much energy, keeping warm, touring farther, staying alive longer if shit hits the fan.  This also means more gapers lurking all over the place, which is not a good thing.

Dumbest thing in skiing these days?

The lack of healthcare in the sport.  That might change for up and comers with the Olympics and all, but who knows. I feel very fortunate with all my sponsors continuing to support me.  I just wish I could come up with a contract to give them so they could help me out with insurance.  That shit’s expensive!

I recently Skyped it out with TC filmer/proficient “pseudonymous” (credit: Jon Hartley) BroBomb commenter Shane McFalls.  The edited version showed up on TGR a bit ago.  Now for all you literates, the full 2,197 words of wisdom from one of skiing’s three hipster filmmakers and recent Yoke Collection co-founder.  Shane raps on homophobic Greek landlords, corn mazes, Inspired, and gas station food buying strategies.

Brobomb: How did you meet Will and Andy?

Shane: I meet Erik when I was still in high school and he was skiing at my home mountain in Central New York.  He introduced me to Will and Andy. Once in college, Erik and I transferred to the same school (where we lived in an attic) so we could be closer to skiing in Vermont. Erik was the bridge from the crew at my mountain to the Bristol Mountain crew of Ahmet, Will, Andy and everyone else.  New York mountains seemed to build these tiny groups of people, and meeting outsiders from other mountains was always some kind of a big deal. So if my parents brought me to the other mountain near our house, who knows what I would be doing now.

We all went to different colleges but met at Andy’s place in Killington to film for Bogart one weekend.  We filmed Bogart and a bunch of stuff for the Meatheads all over the East Coast during college.  It ruined my car but we had some amazing trips to Loon, Sunday River, the Chic Chocs, Newfoundland.

What was the East Coast scene like during that time?

It was definitely the heyday.  Neil (Sotirakopoulos) made Wicked, the Meatheads were filming, there were all kinds of crews putting stuff out.  We stayed at Andy’s house at Killington every weekend and had an amazing time – it was the best time ever, hands down.  I never even thought of leaving the East Coast; it was like this was the place.

It was pretty funny, when we were in college Ahmet and Giray Didali’s mom would drop them off at our place in Albany every Friday – they were in middle school and high school at the time.  She would just drop them both off and we would drive to Andy’s place at Killington or go to Mount Snow.

What was rooming with Erik Olson like?

He’s a quiet kid but he handles his shit – he’s a realist.  We lived together freshman year in a one-room attic and we woudn’t say a word to each other the entire week and then on Friday he’d be like, “So where should we go skiing?”  The attic was slanted on both sides, so the toilet and shower were both up against a slant, the kitchen was full of skis, and heat barely worked – we’d have to leave the oven on and open sometimes.  I slept on a futon that didn’t have enough room to be pulled out, so I pretty much slept on a couch all freshman year… and then for two more years after that.

Initially we were living in the dorms and hated it, so with only a week before school started we drove around for four hours looking for a place.  This real Greek dude was mowing his lawn and we pulled over to check out the place.  When we said we would take the place, he was real confused about the “we” part – we’re pretty sure he thought we were gay.  His little Greek wife was like “WHY YOU WANNA LIVE WITAMAN??”

Shane and Erik’s bathroom shrine to The Dumont

Erik, Andy and I are actually starting our own little clothing company called Yoke Collection (www.yokecollection.com), hoping to launch this week.  Its just stuff we like in skiing that’s outside of TC.  We just wanted to start a company that didn’t take itself seriously, as there are so many ski companies that take themselves way too seriously.  We’ll have a small line with some hats and tees.  The team’s going to be Erik, Jack Borland, Jeff Kiesel, and Witt Foster.

How did you get your start filming?

My cousin was the local hero at our mountain and he gave me a VX1000, basically just to film him.  That turned into a movie I made in high school called “Orange City.”  So he sparked that indirectly, and I just got really into filming and videos, but never cared about film school.  I don’t really care to make movies about anything other than skiing.

How would you describe your current editing style for the videos?

Childish… haha.  I don’t know, Jason (Levinthal, Line Skis founder) calls it “skate style.”  It’s raw; or raw-er than some things… real, maybe?

Yeah, real editing with real skiing on real mountains…  When did you get the idea to have the corny intro and all the weird collage-style graphics?

Jason loves the sponge bob intro and he wanted to replicate that.  I’ve always been into drawing and painting stuff.  Everyone always complains about the intro song but I can only assume that they don’t get the joke… that’s it’s supposed to be stupid.

How did the Line Traveling Circus series start?

The TC series started after we graduated from college and we all paid our way to spend some time in Mount Hood that summer filming a “pilot” to show to Jason. Will proposed the idea to Levinthal, and the first episode of season one was the unofficial pilot to see if it would work. Line has always been supportive of the series since day one, and even more so since I returned full time in season two. But, that all came after spending three years in college filming for free and being totally cool with it. The stoke factor of having my videos featured on Line’s website was more than enough at that time for me. Now that I am sort of an adult, you have to work for more than good vibes – and Line has been totally receptive of that. I’m super pumped on it.  I was always a Line kid, though; I have my first 1260 on my bedroom wall at home, and I have my first free ski from them that I got in college here in my office.  They sent me one pair of skis in college that had been mounted about eight times and I was super bummed but since then things have definitely improved (laughing).

So do you handle all the direction and editing of the episodes or do those guys (Will and Andy) have a lot of input too?

Will does; Andy has no idea what we are doing… I would say he is hardly involved in any post-production work.  But his weirdness on the road is essential.

What is the dynamic like between you three?

Andy talks a lot and Will never does.  There’s lots of bickering after a week of eating, sleeping, and driving in a van.  It’s an interesting dynamic and you have to be able to forget about stupid little things, otherwise you can drive yourself crazy and get super pissed.  It would piss me off when we all had our little van corners for our stuff and Andy’s shit would be everywhere, or we’d be waiting at gas stations for people, or this past trip there was a lot of farting.  The working episode title is “Artsy Fartsy.”

Has anyone snapped on the road?

Ian Compton did once, he said it’s because he’s weak and gets real grumpy when he doesn’t eat or sleep enough.  He freaked out on tape once and I accidentally deleted it; he freaked in a Dunkin Donuts parking lot one morning, and just left.  We were in the Mid-West and it was super cold and there was a warning on TV about the temps, so he just snapped and left for Utah and we stayed to finish filming the episode.

Another time a “free” hotel accidently charged Andy’s card for a three-bedroom condo and it drained his account – he flipped out.  We resolved it but it was still pretty hilarious.  I also kicked a hole in the van wall once because I was pissed at the weather or something.

What is the least ski-related thing you guys have done for the webisodes?

The corn maze in Kansas in episode 2.3.  That took us 2, maybe 3 hours to get through; a long time.  It was hard.  Definitely a good “slice of life” experience, though.

Which is the best route to take east to west across the US?

70 is scenic.  Kansas has dope rest stops that you can set up tents at and everything.  80 blows.  Andy’s car broke down once on 80.  We had to leave it some parking lot and get on a bus, and Andy sold it to some guy for 100 bucks over the phone.  We got on the bus at Laramie, Wyoming and drive 8 or 9 hours to Denver, then from Denver overnight to Salt Lake, which was probably 10 or 11 hours.  And everyone on the bus to Denver looked like they had just gotten out of prison or something.  At any rate, I don’t think I’m phased by driving anymore; 8 or 9 hours in the car is pretty easy for me now.

There are a lot of clips of LJ Strenio eating terrible food.  What’s the eating situation like on these trips?

We have been more into grocery stores lately, as everyone eats differently.  I’m a vegetarian, Will eats mostly healthy food, and Andy eats crap.  LJ will eat anything if it’s free or cheap.  Andy has some sort of standards but I’m not sure how high they are; him and LJ will both eat the weird spinning meat and cheese products at gas stations.  To me that’s just really gnarly.

So what has been the weirdest happening/interaction you guys have had on the road or in a truck stop or grocery store or whatever?

We got off the train in Switzerland, and after being there for like 1 hour, nowhere near a ski town, some dude walks up and says, “Where is Ian?”  That was weird.  There are a million funny weird things that are never documented.

One time we got off the highway in LA to pick up Garret Russell, Max Hill, and Cole and within 10 seconds Andy almost hit this one pedestrian and then Ian (Compton) in the second car almost hit him, too.  The dude, this huge black guy, jumps in front of the car and starts yelling; he wouldn’t move.  He called us crackers and eventually walked away but driving in that city is just crazy.

What’s been the best trip you guys have been on?

That California trip was my favorite trip and episode for sure.  We went to Mammoth, Tahoe, and Big Bear and the weather was good, it was the end of the season, and everyone was there.  We also had good places to stay – that’s always a big one.  Crashing couches at places where we only know one of the roommates or something is always so awkward, and it definitely wears on everyone if we don’t know where we’re staying after skiing.  It’s always like, “Shit, what do we do now?”  We go to the store, sit in the van, wait for someone to text us back.

This time we had a house we rented in Big Bear, a condo in Mammoth and a chill friend in Tahoe – it just went smoothly.  That was also the first time any of us other than Will and Andy had met Max Hill or Cole Drexler, and everyone clicked real fast.  It’s funny because everyone has their own lives and way different interests – they think I’m a big hipster, Andy loves video games, Cole is really into sports, and Max was prom king in high school.  We’re all over the place but we all got along really well on that trip.

 What are the plans for this season?

We’re going back to Europe in January, and we want to drive to B.C. at some point.  Also we want to go to the northern Midwest and Max wants to go back to Big Bear, so maybe we’ll do that, too.

What was the deal with the dude flipping the pizza sign around in the last episode?

Just some dude who was real dang good at his job.  And since the weather in Whistler sucked, the filler had to be extended.

How do you decide what music to put in the videos and also who gets to decide what to play in the van?

It’s whatever I find on Bandcamp that I think fits.  The van music is usually the hipster music on my iPod, and the classics.

Do you guys really not stop for pee breaks on the road?

We haven’t been lately.  Everyone gets a bottle… don’t overflow (laughing).  Once I opened the backdoor and peed out the crack on the highway… while moving.  All those stops for pee breaks or whatever add up, plus it’s funny even if it’s not on film.  We are thinking of cutting a hole in the floor this year but we probably won’t.

What has been the most ridiculous idea for the TC videos that anyone has ever come up or with proposed to you guys?

We were asked to fly to Florida for wakeskiing one time.  It’s like huge rails in water – it seems really painful and I know nobody would even try anything to fall hard enough to make a hilarious video.  And we can do without flying to Florida.

What was the inspiration for Andy’s Rasta rant in the last episode?

Inspired.  It was just spur of the moment, and two seconds later Will almost crashed the van with eight people in it (it seats five) and we all went flying and everyone started screaming.

The latest episode of the Traveling Circus goes live this Sunday, December 18th.  As well, half-eaten grilled cheese sandwiches are also available for holiday shopping on Yokecollection.com.

By now you’ve seen the newly internet-famous urban segment from the Sherpa’s All.I.Can

Brobomb: How did it all come together between you and JP to do that segment? Were there other skiers you considered as well?

Dave: I came up with an extremely loose segment-concept dubbed “the creative seggy” and attempted to involve 3 of the most creative people I know: JP Auclair, Rory Bushfield and Andrew Hardingham. This was to be my first urban segment shoot…ever. I picked JP up at the airport and asked him “so what have you got buddy?” He replied “what have I got?!? What have YOU got!?!”

“Well, you’re the urban guy.” I said.

“Well, you’re the creative guy!” he replied.

Then he proceeded to inform me that his epic urban segment in PBP’s Revolver had taken him 10 years to scout. D’oh!

Turned out Bushy and Hardingham couldnt make it, so JP and I were left to our devices. But as we drove to the interior JP started reminiscing about how, as a kid, he would look out the car window and visualize a skier hitting every little patch of snow and jibbing everything possible. I think a lot of people have shared this fantasy at sometime in their life, and I think that’s why this segment has turned out so powerful. It was an incredible pleasure and honour to work with JP. We got along so well that he ended up co-directing the movie. The world needs more people like JP!!

How did you decide on the location? Were there others you considered?

All.I.Can.’s other director Eric Crosland lives in Nelson, and kept reminding us of how perfect it would be for a street segment. The nearby town of Trail, with its spectacular smelter towers, was also perfect to add the environmental angle of “All.I.Can.” into the mise-en-scène.

Dave and JP muggin’

How extensive was the planning?

As cool as it turned out, it was equally cool to make. Building this segment was unlike any I’d ever done before, and it was a revelation for me in production technique. On scouting days we planned meticulously, and edited new shots every night onto the timeline. By the end of the shoot we had the edit pretty much locked, and in the polished version (which JP edited this summer) we only had 5 shots that didn’t make the cut!! That is a cutting-room-ratio that I have never seen before – very efficient and effective.

How many days did it take to shoot?

14 days and we worked our asses off. There was just the 2 of us (with occasional help from kids walking home from school). I’ve never shoveled so many poo particles in my life.

Did you guys not film on sunny days on purpose or did it just come out like that?

It was really bizzarre, I think we were the only 2 skiers on Earth hoping for rain clouds. If it started to snow or the sun came out, we were choked. To maintain continuity we could only shoot in the grey, so we spent the “nice” days scouting and digging.

Did either of you have any close run-ins with cars or anything?

We had scouters watching for cars, usually local kids who wanted to hang out. Turns out they were quite good at their job.

Where did you find that awesome jump that JP did the 3 and the 7 off of?

We knocked on some “adults” doors and asked if we could “play” in their yard. We dug the 360 driveway-gap into the snow behind an old Chrismas tree, and the 7 was done over a gap between these 2 huge snow piles that the snow-plows had left behind. We were stressing they were gonna come back and mutilate them at night…but they didn’t.

Was that bus at the end there by itself or did you have to rent it or something?

Yeah, that’s a real bus in Nelson, I had noticed it on one of our scouting days and thought…”whoa, that’s perfect”. It’s funny cause it really was the last shot of the shoot, and totally accidental. It was dusk and we had just finished shooting clothes-line. I heard the bus coming up the street and I ran and dove with the camera, placing it on the ground and hitting record. JP played it out perfectly, casually getting on and convincing the driver to take him to the next stop.

A slow bus comin’.

What was the most difficult or interesting build?

I think it’s really cool style to hold a long shot without editing, like they do in “Children of Men” and old Tarkovsky films. The long-line on Cedar Street in Nelson is one I am very proud of (about 30 seconds long, which is big for an action sequence), and it was the first shot we did. A bunch of kids came out and helped us build it. Everyone came out of the woodwork and watched as JP backflips the hedge, grinds the street, gaps the alley, slides the rail and then drops the steep rail at the end. It was super fun to do, a great creative process, and an amazing vibe in the community.

How did it work with all the people’s property you were skiing through?

We ended up hanging around so much that people started bringing us out plates of hot-dogs and chips. For the most part people were very friendly and if we asked nicely enough they would let us do anything. The whole trip was really an amazing social experience, and we met some amazing people who we would never have met otherwise.

This one guy Joey from Trail was the best (he rides his bike w/ trailer through one shot). He just walked up to us and was immediately our best friend. He’d just reach into a bag of chips we were eating and start munching away, asking us how everything was going. “How’s it goin’ big boy?”, he’d say. Most people have this inhibition when you first meet them, and act with a slight guard up, y’know? But not Joey, we hung out with him for a week and it was legitimately sad when we had to leave him behind. I wish everyone could be that friendly right off the bat.

JP and Joey

Did anybody give JP any weird looks being some 30-year old skiing through the streets?

Oh ya. The both of us looked wack to many passersby.

Some of those lines looked pretty bare. Did JP ever eat shit onto concrete?

I was looking in the viewfinder while skiing beside him once, and cut him off pretty badly – he sacrificed himself and smoked a tree. Very gentlemanly! He snapped the tip of his ski but had to keep riding them – you can see it flopping around on the landing of the roof-360 drop, if you look closely.

Now make the obviously right choice and buy All.I.Can:

iTunes Download HD: itunes.apple.com/us/movie/all.i.can.-by-sherpas-cinema/id470509338
Blu-ray and DVD: SherpasCinema.com

Brobomb: How did you get your start at Smith?

Gabe: By taking advantage of opportunities and parlaying those opportunities to the next level. I started out as an intern at Powder Magazine which led to me running the Powder to the People Tour for 4 years.

Here I was able to meet and work with a lot of heavy hitters in the ski industry. Smith Optics was a sponsor of our tour and they really liked what I was doing at Powder so once a job opened up at Smith, I got the nod.

Who was on the ski team in those days and what was the vibe of the company compared to now?

Back then (2005) the Smith ski team was a mix of OG big mountain veterans (Micah Black, Kent Kreitler, and Dav), park and pipe guys (3 Phils, Greg Tufflemire, Steele Spence and Peter Olenick) and the athletes that were really starting to make a name for themselves during that time (JT, Sage, Abma, Hjorleifson, CR, and Sarah Burke). The vibe was great back then even though the ski industry was maturing a bit and marketing budgets were being trimmed down. Now the vibe at Smith is as good as it has been as we are really embracing our heritage, legacy and innovation that has always made Smith so legit.

Whose idea was the I/O goggle and how much of goggle sales does that model make up now? Seems like the product that made Smith.

Our product development department is on another level compared to other goggle and helmet brands and they are the ones who continuously come up with amazing products like the I/O. The I/O, along with the success of our helmets, has really positioned Smith as the premier brand in this category.

How much time do you spend in Ketchum and what’s the scene like there during the winter?

The scene here in the winter is awesome. There is a lot of history here and you never know how much of a legend that old guy next to you on the chairlift is. The entire community is all about being on the hill and that hill boasts 3000 feet of high speed vert that skis really well just about any day of the year. I am here about 2/3 of the time during the winter months and it is so nice to come back to Ketchum after a long spell on the road.

Where did you get your start skiing? Did you ever try to make it as a pro?

I started skiing when I was 5 years old, taking the ski train from Denver to Winter Park every Saturday. I never took a lesson or had any formal ski training or coaching since I was 9 years old. By following around my older brother and his friends, and studying Powder Magazine and photos and videos of guys like Scot Schmidt, I taught myself how to ski the wild terrain we all dream about. I spent a lot of time on the mountain and got to be pretty good.

After college I moved to Vail and thought I was really rad until I entered the comp in Crested Butte and got my ass handed to me. I finished second to last in the qualifiers and at that point I realized I was nowhere near good enough to be a pro, but I just kept shredding and sending it because it is the most fun thing to do.

You are known as a ripping big-mountain skier in the ski industry office pool. How do you make sure you can still crush lines with your schedule?

Having a cool ski/work policy here at Smith and access to a great mountain here in Ketchum means I can ski just about any day I want. Being relatively close to both Alta/Snowbird and Jackson Hole helps keep me sharp in more challenging terrain and I make it a point to travel and ski as much as I can during the winter. For me, it is all about getting a lot of days on the hill each season so my legs are fit and my brain is ready to process the mental side of skiing the gnar.

How do you pick athletes for your team?

For sure I look at contest results, media exposure, style, marketability, and overall impression, but I make an effort to really know who these athletes are as people. Smith is an authentic and legit brand and we need those types of athletes representing us. Being the best skier is only half the equation, you need to be humble, engaging, and willing to promote not only yourself and Smith, but the sport of skiing as a whole.

Who was the first guy you brought onto the Smith ski team?

The first guy I brought on was the late Billy Poole. I was his biggest supporter and he was so stoked when I told him I got the job at Smith and he had a spot on the team.

The latest?

Just yesterday I signed Michelle Parker to the Smith team and she is awesome in so many ways. I am really looking forward to having her on the program.

What is the dumbest thing anyone’s ever done to try to get you to sponsor them?

Probably when I am skiing with a crew of athletes and one of their unsponsored friends tries to “impress me” by going way too big for conditions and blowing up in a violent ragdoll.

Do the office guys get to spend much time in Smith’s private b/c area?

The other promo managers and myself get to spend a lot of time up there but it is not all fun and games for us as we need to save fresh landings for the athletes, shuttle them with snowmobiles to the top of the jumps etc. We work really hard up there and I am lucky to get some skiing in when I go up into the zone.

Who is the most difficult member of your team to work with?

Everyone on the team is really easy going and they all make a big effort to do any of the extra things I ask.

Who is the least communicative member of the Smith ski team?

Some athletes may be a little more difficult to reach than others, but I do not have a problem communicating with any of my athletes.

We heard Eric Hjorleifson makes his goggles out of a Smith I/O strap, Oakley foam, Scott lenses, a POC strap tightener, a Shred Optics frame painted with paint he stole from the 4FRNT factory and a Tecnica buckle. Can you confirm this?

Haha, Eric is a mad scientist for sure, but I think he will tell you that his Smith goggles are made so well they don’t need any tinkering.

What’s the most ridiculous request any of your athletes have given you?

The most ridiculous requests I get are from people that are not sponsored by Smith yet they ask for a huge retainer, a travel budget, 15 pairs of goggles and tons of other support. Meanwhile I am deciding whether or not to send them a pro form or a no sponsorship letter.

Have you ever been able to ski better than someone on your team? Bobby Brown maybe?

I am humbled every time I ski with one of our ski athletes. They are on such a different level. As for Bobby Brown, I ran into him in the sidecounty of Snowbasin last year the day before Dew Tour Finals. Bobby was on his little park skis shredding off piste hardpack, absolutely boosting and stomping cliffs in the unforgiving snow and he was so stoked. He is one of the most stoked skiers I know and just because it seems he spends all of his time in the park, doesn’t mean that is the case. I gained a lot of respect for him that day seeing him skiing so hard and with such passion in pretty marginal conditions the day before a huge slopestyle event.

So you were the dude doing all the corny raps in the MSP movies. Where did that idea come from and how much liquor and/or recreational drug use did it take to put the first one together? What was a memorable line from the first song you made?

Yeah I wrote and performed a couple of songs for the closing credits of Global Storming and Ski Movie. No booze or drugs at all for the creation of those lyrics. I was a truck driver one summer and my truck didn’t have a radio so I just drove down the road creating ski lyrics in my mind day after day. I was just thinking about what I liked the most about skiing—big air and high speed—and it just took off from there and came out like “In the winter time you know I live to ski, the big air, the high speed, that’s my specialty”. I just added to that until I had an entire albums worth of lyrics in my head.

Did you ever perform live and what was the response – heckling, cheering, chicks dancing topless, old chicks dancing topless?

The first time I performed live was at the Vail MSP premier of Sick Sense. It must have been 1998 and Seth Morrison was on stage before the show trying to raffle off a pair of skis and everyone was at the bar not even paying attention to him. Seth wasn’t really into it either so I just went up and took the mic from him and started rapping. I had no beats, it was just full on a cappella style. A couple of minutes later I looked up and the entire place had their eyes glued to me and were hanging on my every word.

Once I ran out of lyrics, I told them to start the movie and the premier went off from there. Later that night Murray Wais from MSP told me he wanted to record my song and put it in their next movie so I while I didn’t see any topless chicks that night, my lyrics were definitely well received. Since then I have had some amazing live performances, as well as a couple of really bad ones.

What ever happened to those sweet Smith poles everybody used to have? The Z Bend poles with powder baskets was a signature of pretty much every big mountain pro until Scott started making cool poles again.

Yeah those poles were cool but they were out of the line by the time I started working at Smith in April of 2005 so I guess they just didn’t do well at retail.

Have you ever entered a big-mountain contest and place against any other people who are now working in offices in the industry?

I entered the US Extremes at Crested Butte and finished 2nd to last in the qualifiers. Not sure who I was competing against that may have an office job now, but I am sure there are plenty of office guys that would crush me in a big mountain comp these days.

Who was your biggest competition at Powder Week last year?

I am not really too competitive so I don’t really care what others are doing. I just like to ski hard, have fun, and find some nice landings to jump into.

Winter is almost upon us. Is there anybody you’d like to call out that you will dominate on the big-mountain office circuit this season?

The only people I want to call out are the other TM’s and ski industry execs that don’t make getting on the mountain their top priority. Despite the insane workloads we are asked to manage and the millions of emails, phone calls, and other work stuff that piles up, we need to always keep it real and ski as much as our bodies will allow. We need to keep our edge and keep our stoke so we know what we are talking about and skiing a lot is the best way to do that.

Brobomb: Where did you grow up skiing?

Josh: Mt Southington, CT on the weeknights (I grew up down the road) and Okemo Mtn in Ludlow, VT on the weekends.

So first of all, what do you have to say for yourself for your backwards-hat-at-an-angle-with-folded-bandana look?

We were just clowning, all my friends were artsy and liked indie hip hop where [white boy from CT as I am] love mainstream crap. That was a Champlain College school dance, college good times! Did you see the Dragon seggie from Amateur Hour? That was my swan song.

You must be the only TM to have ever down backflip out of a rail.

Scott Hibbert [under armour] probably has, I’ve also tried them on a rail in my youth, but failed.

How did you end up being the marketing dude/team dude at Line?

I got real into freestyle in high school, went to UVM and got sponsored by the local rep. After realizing no one can pronounce my last name and I wasn’t that good I got in on the backend. I helped set up events so we could slide rials on campus, and ran a fake ski film company (RightSide Productions, it’s a real company now) to get cheap gear and free tickets. Fast forward a year or 2 and I was the intern for Jason and a manager of his food cart, The Joint. K2 Sports bought Line, I graduated, interned at Meatheads, then worked at Skirack. I was commissioned to color in the first prototypes of the Afterbangs (so they would look like Invaders) and got to talking to Jason about a job in Seattle. 3 days later I was on a plane out there, got hired and 3 weeks later I moved across the country. That was 3 and a half years ago, I’ve been doing the same things, just my titles changed a few times.

Are you the best TM/Marketing Manger in skiing?

Yes? Probably not.

How did you get so good at skiing while being an office nerd?

I was good before so I’ve just retained my stock tricks. I’d get hurt soon as sitting in an office over half the year kills your body, but for now, backflips!

What’s your best trick?

Blind folded double backie, only landed once on the side of a road in Vermont. Reference Head for the Hills by Meathead Films to see it.

Outside of that fluke, what are your 3 best tricks right now?

Loop/flat 3 safety, pipe Flair, underflip (I don’t spin over 5).

Smith’s Gabe Schroeder has a reputation of being one of the hardest-charging TMs on skis. Are you better than him and if so, please talk some shit:

Nope, Super G’s on point. Maybe I can do a better park trick but as for real skiing, on real mountains, all Gabe.

What’s the key to becoming one of the best-skiing office nerds in the industry?

Don’t get caught up in the party style, industry guy scene. If you’re in a sick location with good snow and you’ve gotten the work done, enjoy some runs! That scene is a bunch of dudes anyways, I prefer the skiing opportunities.

Who is your most difficult athlete to work with?

Pollard, and by difficult I mean the complete opposite.

Is there any of your team that needs verbal abuse this fall and if so, please go ahead:

Andy, drop the damn rap album! Your fans are waiting!

On a scale from 1-10, how hot will Garrett Russell be now that he’s back on snow and healthy?

Super hot, like sun burn hot seeing as he’ll be shredding the sunny slopes of Tahoe with college co-eds.

Worst thing anyone has said about you or Line on Newschoolers.com forums:

“line is shitty, they sold out years ago to k2, they are not real, they just have mad advertising teams behind them,” – Some dude in a post we made about needing an intern, ha! We’re just skiers man, and our mad advertising teams are 3 dudes and a graphic designer. It’s funny (and scary) being seen as a faceless corporation.

Have you ever been better at skiing than someone who’s asked you to sponsor them?

Yes, nowadays kids are really good though.

What’s the dumbest thing anyone has ever said in a sponsor-me application you’ve received?

The misspellings are good. Spancer, Spanser but what’s better is the emails that have every info@____skis.com and team manager from every company the person can think of CC-ed on it.

When you guys came out with the Grab Tab, did Swix break down the door and started throwing in grenades for taking their tab idea, and how long did you have to defend Line HQ with a spear?

No, not sure if they noticed but there’s some differences in the design that make it so we can both coexist. Besides, they make them for poles, we make them for Pointy Sticks™

And finally, what do I get for giving you guys two Powder Skier’s Choice awards? I take payment in skis, Fernet, or Canadian dollars.

I can give you a high five for your honest opinions on the best skis in the world, but yea, I’ll get you a Fernet next time someone else is paying for it.

Good day to you.

Brobomb: Who are the old owners, how was their relationship with the community & passholders? What was their motivation to sell the resort and how did that process develop?

Jamie Schectman: Alec Cushing was the original owner since 1949. Many would say it was a love/hate relationship between Alec and the passholders. He definitely danced to the beat of his own tune, but his accomplishments are legendary. People can say what they want about Alec, but he definitely was a visionary who made it happen. Alec passed away, and after a few years as CEO, his wife Nancy ultimately sold the resort to KSL in November, 2010.

How much is passholder income a proportion of resort income generally, and in the case of Squaw especially since they lowered their pass price?

None of us have any idea, but it’s important to point out those revenues come in the off-season, when they aren’t selling lift tickets.

What are some of the recent developments that have prompted this outcry?

When the new ownership was announced, KSL stated they would be investing $50 million dollars into Food and Beverage, Grooming and other family oriented improvements. As well, there has been much talk of further base village and real estate development, with an emphasis on second homes and higher quality lodging experiences.

In late February, Squaw stated on their Facebook page that one of our favorite zones, accessed by the Silverado chair, would be closed mid week for the rest of the season. This announcement was made just after the President’s week holiday, when Squaw routinely had 30 minute plus lines. Many locals felt that after such record breaking crowds, it wasn’t a very nice gesture to cut one of our favorite zones to save money.

These points, plus knowing that the new owners have direct and close ties with Vail, whom many passholders fear Squaw becoming, made us feel the need to ensure our voice is heard.

What has the huge decrease in pass prices done to the mountain?

There has been a large and very noticeable difference in skier traffic on good, great, excellent or epic ski days. The biggest change is on storm days, which thankfully Tahoe has had many this year. In the years before the discounted season pass, only locals and those with mountain sense were skiing KT-22 when it’s dumping 2+ inches an hour and blowing wind. Nowadays, thanks to cheap season passes and fat rockered skis, every Tom, Dick and Harry is skiing on storm days.

We refer to it as SquawMart, big on mountain, low on price. This model is an emerging trend in ski resort industry. The ski corporation’s goal is to get as many people into the village as possible, and give them lots of options to spend their money.

What have been some of the main complaints or issues of contention for the passholders group?

The biggest complaint is the need to address storm day operations, when the upper mountain isn’t operating, and specifically, the long lines on KT. We think there are several ideas we can suggest that will spread out the crowds and offer a better overall experience. Some of these suggestions will allow those with no business being on expert terrain in white out conditions other options.

As a group, we are also concerned with the future of our community. As Jeremy Evan’s documents in his recently published book, In Search of Powder:A Story of America’s Disappearing Ski Bum, many mountain towns have or going to be transformed into commuter villages. While we understand running a ski resort is a business, we want to ensure that our community soul remains intact.

What portion of the pass holders, both in percentage and demography, do you feel you have involved in this movement? Do you have representation both from local die-hard as well as weekending Bay Area skiers and riders?

SPU is in the infancy stages. We have had our first meeting where 7 board members (all local season passholders) were nominated. Since then, the board has met once and is collaborating on some task items that were set. Our facebook page is growing approximately 20 fans per day. Our short term goal is to bring awareness to SPU and to understand passholders priorities so we can voice them correctly. The board is made up of die-hard, passionate skiers and our goal is to work in the passholder’s best interest.

Squaw seems to be the only ski resort in KSL’s holdings while the majority of its investments are golf resorts and luxury spas – how has their ownership changed the management and been perceived in all quarters?

So far the biggest change I have noticed is a much friendlier staff. On some powder mornings during the KT line up, smiling employees have passed out hot chocolate and coffee. I also noticed they changed a vent or something because I can smell food more in the base area.

It’s still early on to see many changes, as the new ownership has transitioned in one of the largest winters on record. I believe KSL is still in the evaluating stages, and many of the changes are forthcoming.

Firms like KSL have been known for simply waiting these debates out until protest fatigue sets in; how do you see this relating to the Squaw passholders movement?

I think KSL recognizes the power of social media in 2011. Look at the debacle with the Sunshine Village firings, as well as what happened in Egypt that began thanks to Facebook. It’s clear we have entered a new era and ability to hold service-oriented companies accountable for their actions.

SPU looks forward to a productive dialog with KSL. We believe it can be a win-win relationship.

How far will you go to protest for your rights?

SPU is pronounced spew for a reason.

Do you feel people should be entitled to drop the Fingers naked (a la GNAR) during Presidents Day Weekend?

The Fingers have been renamed “Hollywood Blvd” Didn’t you get the memo?

Should passholders be allowed to claim their farts in the Squaw tram without fear of retribution from management?

I’d like to see how the new Food and Beverage improvements evolve before making a ruling.

Has there been any response from other outside people or groups, and how does the local community (town officials, etc.) feel about this movement?

We have been mostly flying under the radar so far. Once we get our ducks in a row and develop a robust online presence, I suspect we will get more feedback from both the local community as well as outside the Tahoe Basin. It is my hope that every ski resort develops a similar group where the passholder’s voice is heard. Both parties can certainly benefit from such dialog.

Is there any gain in GNAR points for community activism?

Yes, if you pass out 5 Red Bulls in the KT Line, you receive 1,500 points. This doesn’t apply if you are sponsored by Red Bull.

How many GNAR points is KSL losing with their most recent injustices, and can you give specific examples?

I don’t think that KSL has participated in GNAR yet, though I hear the new GM is a fairly accomplished skier.