GRAND PRIZE WINNER ANNOUNCED Smith Optics We Make the Great Days Better Contest

[hop]

Bam. Hopefully these made it in the contest.

[Unregistered]

I really hope this works

Dear Smith:

Super G had hoped for more entries this am but the contest said "closed" when I tried to upload my TRs via this portal. I posted them in the thread with the hopes that they would show up in the contest page as well; Insh'Allah that's good enough for consideration.

Fingers crossed my entries will be deemed legit competitors,
hop

[whistler-madpow-disease]

we reached the top and were only half way there, the best was yet to come.

this was a trip two buddies and i did to Mount Fissile behind Whistler Blackcomb just before Easter long weekend. the weather was kinda messing with us the whole way than just after this photo was taken at a couple hundred feet below the true summit, the clouds broke and we had the most epic pow run down The Banana chute i can't think of any better way to wrap up my season than this trip.

[natieboi24]

Backcountry Skiing

well i have been skiing since i was to and no matter what my passion in life will always be skiing no matter what happens to me and i have always been looking to expand my skiing ability in any way possible and have been taking every opportunity i can and skiing has always come first in my life

[amckeaner]

Sun Valley 360

This was by far the best trip of my life. 1 week in the Chilean Andes with 5 of the best skiing coaches around... what is not to like. Beautiful place, great people, some spread eagles and of course a love for a little thing we call skiing.

[Super G]

We are offically closing this contest tonight at midnight, so now is your chance to post any last minute entries.

[Super G]

Ok, so this contest is now officially closed. I want to thank everyone that participated this year, I had a lot of fun checking out all the entertaining posts. Due to the magnitude of radness of all of the submitted TR's, I am going to consult with the Reverand Floater and we will announce a winner next week. Stay tuned!

[Super G]

We have chosen a winner for the Best Trip Report. Congrats to Hop for his documentation of Savage Europe. This TR had it all...exploring mountains in a far off land

travel lifestyle

humor

booting up steep couloirs

nightlife

skiing

and all of the other things that make a big trip so exciting.

Congrats to Hop for winning this round, just send me a PM with what gear you want and I will get a helmet, sunglass and goggle sent your way.

Look for an announcement as to who won the Grand Prize trip to Antarctica later this week. Thanks to everyone for the participation this year, stay tuned!

[Super G]

On behalf of TGR, The Reverand Floater, myself and everyone here at Smith Optics, we would like to thank everyone that participated in this year's season long contest. There were some amazing entries posted in this thread and we were all stoked to see you getting after it. After much deliberation, we have selected The Gnarwhale as the overall winner! The Gnarwhale not only won 2 of the 7 contests this season, but his stoke, ability to post rad content on a regular basis, and skills in the mountains make him the clear cut winner. The Gnarwhale will be setting sail for Antarctica this November and I am sure we can all expect one hell of a TR from that trip. Please join me in congratulating The Gnarwhale for an awesome season. For those of you that would like to join The Gnarwhale, just check out http://www.iceaxe.tv/expedition/anta...a-cruise-2011/ and I am sure they would be stoked to sell you a spot on what is sure to be a trip of a lifetime.
Thanks again for everyone's support of Smith Optics and this contest, enjoy the deep snowpacks and the rest of the ski season.

[The Gnarwhale]

YESSSS! I'm so psyched, amped, jazzed, stoked and ebullient. Thanks Super G and Rev. Floater!

[hop]

Congrats Gnarwhale!

[ectreeskier11]

holy shit man, congrats on that!

[The Gnarwhale]

Yeah, seriously stoked. Yesterday was a real good day.

MarkH and I set out to ski the Ribbon at Alta after a fitful start to the day. We first showed up to different Park-n-Ride lots, each wondering where the hell the other was then, once that was sorted, Mark realized he'd left his gloves in the dryer at home. Rather than drive back down the canyon he opted to wrangle a pair from Snowbird's Lost and Found. Too honest to fib about loosing a pair on the tram deck, he explained that he'd forgotten his gloves and the good folks at the 'Bird gave him a non-matching pair that'd been sitting around for months and took his car keys as a deposit.

So, we set out an hour later than we planned and skinned with the Ribbon in full view and looking awful imposing.


Lucky for us, the temps stayed cool enough to keep cornices and loose rock frozen in place as we edged out on the line.


NoHow likes to say "As long as you have skis on, it's skiing."


Mark led most of the route and I think he had the spicier end of it, except for here where I belayed him around a cruxy < 1 ft wide snow ribbon with rock slab on one side and several hundred feet of exposure on the other. After cleaning that last piece of protection I had take a couple deep breaths and try not to think of the potential for a huge pendulum fall.


As the traverse widened into hanging snowfields I made cautious turns, remembering what it's like to have my right ski downhill for a change. Out of the firing line of falling rocks and cornices, we noodled down the apron, fully stoked.


With Alta closed for the season, we didn't know we were being watched but someone emailed me this picture of Mark and I closing in on the end of the difficult part.




So, we skied the Ribbon, returned the gloves to Lost and Found, had a little celebratory Lone Star lunch, then I headed home for an afternoon nap. Unfortunately for my nap, I turned my computer on and glanced through my emails first. Cell phone bill, bank statement, facebook update, blah blah blah, Wanna go to Antartica, blah blah blah. Woah - doubletake - what was that last one?

click. HOLY HELL. I'M GOING TO ANTARCTICA.

Like MyPetPowderGoat said, "thought Obama was having "best day ever" but you may have one-uped him." Making great days better indeed!

[TGR420]

On behalf of TGR, The Reverand Floater, myself and everyone here at Smith Optics, we would like to thank everyone that participated in this year's season long contest. There were some amazing entries posted in this thread and we were all stoked to see you getting after it. After much deliberation, we have selected The Gnarwhale as the overall winner! The Gnarwhale not only won 2 of the 7 contests this season, but his stoke, ability to post rad content on a regular basis, and skills in the mountains make him the clear cut winner. The Gnarwhale will be setting sail for Antarctica this November and I am sure we can all expect one hell of a TR from that trip. Please join me in congratulating The Gnarwhale for an awesome season. For those of you that would like to join The Gnarwhale, just check out http://www.iceaxe.tv/expedition/anta...a-cruise-2011/ and I am sure they would be stoked to sell you a spot on what is sure to be a trip of a lifetime.
Thanks again for everyone's support of Smith Optics and this contest, enjoy the deep snowpacks and the rest of the ski season.

Sick Grarwhale! Way to bring the goods on a continued basis! Thanks for running the contest Smith! Oh yeah, and that is a crazy TR from the other day. Burly ass line!!

[My Pet Powder Goat]

The Gnarwhale not only won 2 of the 7 contests this season, but his stoke, ability to post rad content on a regular basis, and skills in the mountains make him the clear cut winner.

Couldn't say it any better so i'll just quote it.

Congrats Gnarwhales, Way to get after it!
Anyone who ever tried taking pics on the side of a mountain surrounded by powder knows it's not always easy to participate in both "skiing your face off" and capturing fantastic and breathtaking pictures, you slayed both.

Thanks to Smith for supporting the athletes/photographers, and to the photog/athletes for supplying the stoke.

[Conundrum]

Yeah dude!