Lineage of Freeride
A selection of ski lines from the 2009 Freeride World Tour.
Krasnaya Polyana, Russia
Me (Drew Tabke), crashed on a backflip off the windlip. Unknown photo
Sverre Liliequist, first place after day one. De Masi photo
Seb Michaud, huge air. De Masi photo
Squaw Valley, California
Me, seventh place.
Reine Barkered, first place.
The line taken by most all other male skiers.
Videos from AboutLakeTahoe.com
Tignes, France
Me, crashed and dislocated shoulder.
Thomas "Bichon" Diet, second place.
Mathias Haunholder, first place.
Verbier, Switzerland
Me, crashed near finish line.
Reine Barkered, fastest, scariest run of the day. Second place.
Aurelien Ducroz, first place and overall FWT '09 champ. Video of Henrik Windsted crashing on the same line.
What do you think they need to do to encourage broader line selection at a place like squaw?
Such an awesome mountain; it was strange to watch almost everyone run the same line... Backflips of the Tramshack seemed like a differentiator for some...
heh...I think the most interesting part of this thread is the difference in the venue between the first stop, Sochi, and the last stop, Verbier. The Bec de Rosse makes the Sochi venue (at least what's posted in the photo) look like a Powder 8 venue.
What do you think they need to do to encourage broader line selection at a place like squaw?
Hold it on the tram face.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoelaces
heh...I think the most interesting part of this thread is the difference in the venue between the first stop, Sochi, and the last stop, Verbier. The Bec de Rosse makes the Sochi venue (at least what's posted in the photo) look like a Powder 8 venue.
They do get progressively burlier, steeper, and more exposed through the season, interestingly. More options, much higher consequence, etc. Bec de Rosse is nutz. I still want to play around all day off the top of that Sochi chair. Always have since Pep Fujas' segment in The Hit List.
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What do you think they need to do to encourage broader line selection at a place like squaw?
from what i understand the competitors didn't get to inspect the course at all before the comp.... they all got one ride up the tram to check it out, then it was on.
so basically all the guys chose the hugest, smoothest air (for the most part) and sent it. if they could've had a day to ski silvy before the comp crazy shit would've gone down. there was a TON of terrain visible from where the judges were.... Ludwig's, Neverland, Whitewater, Katmandu, Fortress, etc.... i was stoked to see everything get skied (like the usual squaw comps) but it was over in 90 minutes and most guys hit the same air.
that being said.... the ladies were awesome to watch. tons of variation and sick, technical lines getting ripped.
the tram face would've been bezerk!
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but skiing lines like this is, in your opinion, less stupid than taking too much gear on a trip without enough time alloted?
I'm not going to answer your awesome question, but I'd like to give you a better idea of what goes into some of this. It might be dangerous, but its not stupid.
Take for example the final competition, the Verbier Xtreme and its venue, the Bec des Rosses. The competition has been held on that face for ~13 years, and some competitors have participated in a remarkable amount of those events. Steve Klassen (Snowboard, USA) for example has won five times on that face and is still participating. Jerome Ruby, a former competitor on the Bec, is now employed as the head mountain guide by the FWT organization (pics of Jerome here and here). Kaj Zackrisson has competed and won multiple times and is still participating. These guys and many others are all still involved and there is a lot of communication between everyone to aid in the decision making process that is "line choice." Skiers and guides from the Verbier area check on the face throughout the winter and the riders around the world are kept informed of conditions and weather on the Bec and in the region. This year, guides descended the face while competitors watched from high vantage points to better gauge scale and snow conditions. There is a lot of photo and video out there documenting previous competitions. Competitors then synthesize all of this information into what was this year a four day inspection period, spending hours looking at the face through binoculars from various vantage points at all hours of the day. There are doctors working with helicopter pilots (for evacuation if need be) working with organizers working with mountain guides working with athletes culminating in structured briefings to make sure that all participants have as much information as possible beforehand.
I didn't even mention the athletes, the athlete selection process, and all of the other preparation on this side.
I object to your rendering of the green line in Squaw. I went far farther than the line indicates.
Jahory- I'd say the reason that line was skied repeatedly was the fact that it was a challenging big air with tranny. Most of the other airs in Silvy have landings that resemble sidewalks, which equals backslaps or tomahawks and causes low placings. And the 'uncreative' line still handed some beatings to the few that couldn't stick it.
this time on the board kix ass every year for those that still are around that haven't given into biking, climbing, fishing, etc. ..... cause peeps like Alto, Alka, Chomp, etc. are just catching up after a seasons worth of fun and posting totally rowdy shit like this!!!! As well as alot of the ski mountaineers are fighting off the urge(s) to partake of said activities and going after the lines they have been eyeing years upon years and getting some of them done and then taking the time and making the effort to write about them.
Thanks for taking the time D to personally remenisce and let your finger tips find their way here to put it down for us to read We need to climb this summer sometime somewhere and drink a big, tall PBR to celebrate said climb
Be smart, stay safe and keep learning young jedi!!1
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as far as i can tell, that line isn't even in the book.
Yeah, it's now being referred to as Cody's Air.
Sounds like you had the worst of luck at the end of the season Drew. Sorry to hear that there was a plague of snow snakes raining down at the end of your lines. Sick shit nonetheless.
Actually, terrible snow. It was in the worst condition it had been in all season. Makes the stuff people threw down even more impressive.
still, it looks better than the snow at the Telluride qualifier i went to
after watching the Henrik Windsted crash clip again i see what you mean - a little bit of sluff runout going sastrugi maybe? talk about getting on your feet at the right moment...
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Lineage of Freeride, Freeride World Tour 2009
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And the Verbier venue looks obscene.
fucking kook
As well as alot of the ski mountaineers are fighting off the urge(s) to partake of said activities and going after the lines they have been eyeing years upon years and getting some of them done and then taking the time and making the effort to write about them. 
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