The One - true beauty is more than skin deep

This week, I traded my slim and slender slalom skis for a voluptuous pair of Blizzard‘s “The One IQ-Max”. The One (and its feminine counterpart – the Crush) is favored by many of the veteran mountain pros here at Fernie and seems to be among the hot skis this season. If you’re looking for a solid off-piste ski that also performs on the groomer, the One could be right for you.

The One is light, quite wide underfoot and has a bit of rocker, which help make it an excellent ski for all kinds of deep snow. However, I was really surprised by how well it handles on groomed pistes as well as the occasional patch of ice. The guys at the shop say that this is because Blizzard have shaped it with a bit of a sidecut to boost on-piste performance. To be fair, when it comes to hitting groomers, the One doesn’t lag far behind my slalom skis and is actually much lighter than they are.

Although the One has a lot of personality, it’s not pretty. The latest edition of the ski has an unsightly red and green tartan pattern that is reminiscent of the worst kinds of punk rock apparel and is a far cry from the many more attractive alternatives on the market. If you’re put off by the hideous visual design, you can always go for the 2010-2011 version, which is exactly the same ski but is easier on the eye (and is the model I eventually purchased).

Aesthetics aside, Blizzard’s the One is as versatile as they come and is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a pair of skis that will help you get more out of all the snowfall we’ve been getting in British Columbia this winter. Moreover, the Gear Hub in Fernie gives Nonstoppers a free one-day demo, so don’t hesitate to go down there when the next powder day comes!

I love that little section in Aldi with all the seasonal gear. That’s quite a statement, considering my blood boils every time I set foot on a high street. I’m not saying that Aldi is a stress-free shopping experience, but sifting through a pile of bargainous nick-nacks is certainly a silver lining! Unfortunately the good stuff always seems to go quicky, so on this occasion it’s great to get a heads-up. A whole bunch of super-cheap ski / snowboard clothing will be hitting the shelves tomorrow (22^nd Dec), so get in there quickly if you want to snap any up.

We’ve been sent some samples to play with, and you can read our verdict on them below, but first of all check out the prices: you can get socks for £3.99, gloves for £5.99, trousers for £17.99 and a jacket for £24.95. Getting a full clothing set-up for just over £50 is insane, in my years of ski bargain hunting I’ve rarely seen anything that compares to that. Surely at that price the quality must suffer…

Well, the quality doesn’t suffer to the extent you’d think. This is robust gear. No, you’re not going to get AK style 3 layer Gortex, or down insulation, but you’re not paying £300+! The Jacket and Pants are packed with the old classic “Thinsulate” and they feel pretty cozy. As with most outerwear you’ll need to layer-up in colder times but they’ll handle the mid-temperatures okay I’m sure.

We did a simple waterproof test, as there are no waterproof / breathability ratings on the garments. When water is splashed on the jacket it formed beads, which is a good initial sign. After rubbing in the water it did soak up a little bit. The seams don’t seem to be taped either, like some of the higher value gear. So, when it’s wetter or there’s fresh snow, you might start to get a little soggy (but the same could be said for a lot of the outerwear on the market).

Water test - before and after rubbing

The jacket has a lot of the features you’d want. It has a decent powder-skirt and there are nice stretchy under-cuffs that will stop snow going up your sleeves. There’s also the bonus of having separate mobile phone and tunes pocket, with the fancy hole for the lead to go through and everything!

Looks wise, they aren’t bad. Well, we’ll let you be the judge, look at the picture at the top. Green is hot right now…

Moving on to the gloves – they feel pretty good and have grippy palms for the skiers. They are the gauntlet style long cuffs, so it’s a little bit of a struggle shoving them under your jacket, if you’re a “tucker” that is. They seem to come up pretty big. We had a size medium and I managed to get my XL hands into them quite comfortably, so give them a try if you can.

The socks feel great and are made from a mix of wool and synthetics. They’ve got padding in all the right places for skiers and snowboarders. Good news for all big-footers out there, my size 12s fit perfectly inside size large. I couldn’t give them a definite thumbs up without them spending a day inside my sweaty boots, but at £3.99 they’ve got to be worth a punt!

At the end of the day, this might not cut it for seasonnaires, but if you’re going away for the odd holiday and you want super cheap clothes, this gear is perfect.

Read National Geographics top 10 winter trips for 2012

Here are the top 5 reasons that we think make Fernie so great:

1) Powder!

Fernie is the home of “Legendary Powder”. Part of interior BC’s “Powder Triangle”, the snow is dry, fluffy and plentiful. Last season saw 11.5m of snow!

2) Terrain

Fernie comprises 5 alpine bowls, each with an amazing variety of terrain to explore. The ungroomed runs in particular are a freerider’s dream! With the addition of the “Polar Peak Lift” this season, Fernie now has the most runs and the biggest vertical in the Canadian Rockies!

3) No crowds

Being a little further away from the airports than Banff and Whistler, it doesn’t pick up such a high level of holiday traffic. That means there aren’t lift queues and the ungroomed powder stays fresher for longer!

4) Friendly

Downtown Fernie and the ski hill itself is blessed with Canada’s classic laid-back friendly vibe. You’ll feel welcome and a part of the community from the first day.

5) Makes everyone happy

Since 2002 we’ve taken nearly 2,000 skiers and snowboarders to Fernie and, without fail, people love the place. Regardless of age, nationality, sex or ability, Fernie is guaranteed to be a trip to remember!

Find out more about our courses in Fernie here.

This ground-breaking course has now captured the attention of Whitelines snowboard magazine and The Guardian newspaper, both of which have featured the programme heavily in recent issues. Check out The Guardian’s coverage here and pick up the December 2011 issue of Whitelines to heard what they have to say.

Visit our Holidays and Camps section to find out more about our MTM off-piste camp.

The new lift is set to summit on top of Polar Peak, Fernie’s highest vertical point. The lift will open up terrain that has previously only ever been explored by those prepared to hike up the long ascent on certain days when conditions allowed it. Now Fernie revellers can access the monster peak in a matter of minutes and explore over 22 new marked runs, plus countless unmarked off-piste areas!

Not only does this new lift confirm Fernie’s status as one of the all time greatest mountains in the world, it also means Fernie now boasts the highest vertical drop in the Canadian Rockies, plus the highest number of marked runs, weighing in with 140 exciting and varied trails.

Fernie now boasts some pretty big accolades:

• Most ski runs in the Rockies
• Most snow in the Rockies
• Only new lift this season in the BC Rockies
• Most vertical in the Rockies

The Fernie Alpine Resort Ski Patrol are also chomping at the bit to see this new lift in action, as easy access to the highest peaks will cut down avalanche control time and make it much easier to get terrain open after a big snow fall. That’s pretty handy as it is rumoured that Canada is in for another La Nina snow year, which yielded a massive 37ft last season in Fernie alone (close to the all time record)!

With Polar Peak sitting above the alpine tree layer, the new lift will provide wide open powder fields to let loose on, giving a new dimension to skiing in Fernie. Fernie’s big lift plans are the only major lift installation plans to be taking part this year in BC and one of only a few new lifts planned over the whole of North America!

So, if you are looking to be one of the pioneers of skiing new terrain in BC this winter, why not check out our huge selection of instructor courses and development and performance camps hosted in Fernie throughout the season. Then when the snow hits record figures again you can say ‘I was there!’

Ski and Snowboard Instructor courses

Ski and Snowboard Development and Performance Camps

1) Snow!

Boom! Straight in there with the heavyweight of all reasons to choose Canada over anywhere else in the skiable world. Western Canada receives unprecedented amounts of the white stuff during the winter months. Fernie, BC for example last season received in excess of 39ft of snow! I personally visited Fernie in the last week of the 2010/11 season and was blessed with 120cms of fresh snow in the week I was there alone! Second to last day of the season and I was riding with powder well above the knee, getting face shots in April!

Photo- Henri Georgi

2) Terrain

I would have no issues just leaving this article with the one reason already mentioned, as that alone should be enough to tempt you to Canada. However if you need more reasons then what about the simply epic terrain Canada provides?! Cold temperatures mean that skiing through the alpine layer is common place at nearly every mountain, providing quite simply the best tree skiing you could ever hope for. I can’t think of one mountain in Western Canada that doesn’t offer incredible tree skiing and variable off-piste. The mountains are rugged and untamed and, with extremely clever lift placement, you can access more off-piste in 6 lifts that you can in Europe with 60!

Photo-Lisa Hamilton

3) Safety

Ok, so this one makes it sound like I’ve gone from a gnarly off-piste extremist to a mothering, health and safety jobsworth, but bear with me because this is a good point! Unlike mountains in Europe where off-piste and on-piste are very clearly defined and you enter the off-piste at your peril, in Canada there are only two ropes to abide by and they are the outer resort boundaries. Stay within them and it doesn’t matter if you are hucking cliffs or straight lining gullies, you can do it all safe in the knowledge that you are well within a ski patrolled area. This peace of mind allows you to push yourself to new limits and that is not only exhilarating and satisfying, but it will also make you a better skier!

4) People

Or nice people I should say! The Canadians have a very laid back outlook on life and that is never truer than when they are doing what they love on a mountain. There is none of this argy-bargy lift line chaos, with the angry father giving it the elbow as the annoying child cuts nice lines through your top sheets as they blithely skate across your skis. In Canada people are polite, they chat to you on lifts, they give way to you on the hill  and they are always happy to help you if you are lost of looking for the best areas! This is only a small point but once you experience how pleasant people can be on a ski hill, you’ll question if you can ever go back to the manic mêlée of the European lift lines!

5) Empty slopes

So this article needed a big finish and here it is! I experienced my first day skiing in France this season at Val Thoren. It wasn’t a school holiday, just a normal week in the season and as I made my way down the hill I got an insight of what it would be like to run down the middle lane of the M25 during rush hour. There were people coming at me from all angles and more often than not it appeared it was because they had little or no say in what direction they were going! Without wanting to labour the point, all I’ll say is pick a destination that maybe requires a little more travel time to reach in Canada and you will be rewarded with a mountain that can sometimes feel like it is all your own, leaving you free to kick back, relax and tear up the runs as you see fit. Check out Fernie, Red mountain, Revelstoke or Kicking Horse for a few ideas. (Better yet visit all four of these mountains on NONSTOP’s excellent 2-week Snow Safari)

If you are interested in really experiencing Canadian off-piste for all the reasons mentioned above, why not check out NONSTOP’s 6-week ‘Master the Mountain’ off-piste camp, which culminates with a stunning helicopter flight over the mountains and a four day backcountry, wilderness adventure.

Enjoy!

Eric Pollard and the guys at Nimbus Independent are getting better and better each season. Their videos are slicker and longer, and they now have  a great archive of “POV” Go Pro footage, so you can sit in front your PC with your helmet and goggles on pretending you’re a pro skier.

Their “En Route” films are free to stream online and a great watch; good banter, awesome snow and terrain and awe inspiring skiing. Pollard, Fujas,  Mahre Bencheter aren’t about tall tees and 1260s, they tend to wear understated clothing, rip huge gouges in metre deep powder and float massive 180s off 40ft cliffs.

Here’s Nimbus’ latest production: En Route Approach. It was the first sunny lunch break in a week today, but this flick kept me firmly glued to my seat inside.

En Route Approach from NIMBUS INDEPENDENT on Vimeo.

This season Fernie had pushing 12 metres of snow. If you want some intensive coaching in progressive snow conditions and world class terrain, look no further than our selection of performance/development camps in Fernie:

Skiers:
2 week ski camps/3 week ski camps/6 week off-piste MTM ski camp

Snowboarders:
2 week snowboard camps/3 week snowboard camps/6 week off-piste snowboard camp

If you’re looking to do an instructor course and have got this far, don’t leave this website… it would be the worse decision you’ve ever made!

After endless nights comparing instructor courses I finally chose to go with NONSTOP; it was the best decision of my life. The next choice I made was to do my course in Banff; the second best decision of my life.

Banff doesn’t have one best thing about it; there are so many things that made Banff a brilliant season for me. One of the main factors was being able to ride at three different resorts. Each resort has something special about it, be it the snow, the terrain, the park, or even the food!

Sunshine Village is an awesome resort and has the best snow out of the three. When it snows, it snows a lot! 5cm in town equals 20cm plus at Sunshine. I rode the best powder of my life at Sunshine and the tree runs are just brilliant! If you get the chance you have to do the dive. Delirium Dive is an off piste area of Sunshine that requires you to rent avalanche gear to go into, definitely worth it if it’s open.

Some people don’t rate Norquay…. that’s because they don’t have the likes of Brian, Marc, and Jonny showing them all the secret stashes! Norquay is a great little resort and we spent most of our free weekends there hitting up the steeps or lapping the park. 2 musts at Mt Norquay are the 9 dollar ribs and the ski out, both amazing.

Lastly we got to ride the lake. Lake Louise was most people favourite resort and you will see why. It’s a great resort and there is so much terrain to ride. Groomers, trees, off piste or park, the lake has it all and everything is top quality. There’s also some pretty sweet spots to build your own jumps in the trees.

NONSTOP offers credit activities unlike any of the other companies, we met lots of other people on different instructor courses and they all wish they came with us on NONSTOP’s course. We got the chance to ride Fernie, Panorama, Kicking Horse and Revelstoke – all world class resorts. I went to Kicking Horse and Revelstoke and rode some of the best terrain the Rockies has on offer. They are like giant playgrounds with little hits everywhere and if you’re up for it, some gnarly chutes and drops. When they went to Fernie they must have had some of the best snow conditions in Canada, I saw some pictures which made me very jealous… chest deep powder!

There are lots of credit activities and I would definitely recommend going to at least one other resort, the hockey games and night tubing at Norquay – going down the slopes in a rubber ring with a few beers in you is a good experience.

Along with having the best credit activities, NONSTOP also have the best instructors you will ever meet. I snowboarded and the three instructors we had were just awesome. Brian, Marc, and Jonny. Also known as Jack Black, Bruce Willis, and Jesus. You will see why when you go.

They are all amazing riders with Brian and Marc at level 4 standard, whilst Jonny is working towards his level 4. Level 4 is the top level of instruction. These guys will teach you anything from riding waist deep powder to pulling 7’s in the park. As they are locals they know all the secret spots and where the best snow is day in day out. You will also find they act like your mates so we end up having a beer with them after a days riding and then in town if went out later on. The ski instructors are pretty much the same as the snowboarders, just not as cool obviously. The instructors really made the course for me.

Banff is a great party place and the drinking age is 18, younger than the rest of Canada. You become one of the locals over the course and get to see the good vibe Banff has as a town. If you like to go out and have a drink you won’t be disappointed, Thursday and Sunday being local’s night with cheap drinks and good times, definitely the best days to go out. I would write more about going out but I don’t remember a lot of it, also what happens in Banff stays in Banff.

I was worried about staying in a hotel for three months but the Voy was a perfect home from home. The rooms were good and the staff at the Voy absolutely love you, they come out with you some nights and we all got on really well with them. Kim will look after you and always make sure there’s good food for dinner. I like to eat a lot so don’t worry if you have an appetite, I got seconds most nights, it was ace! We stayed there for three months and there was only one meal I didn’t enjoy through my whole time there. Good job local phone calls from the room are free and Domino’s deliver! On that subject get an Eddie Burger delivered one weekend, or like us most weekends.

Before I chose Banff I didn’t like the idea of getting busses to the different resorts. That soon went out the window. Being able to sleep on the busses was great, everyone loves that extra snooze you get. Also on the way back from the hill it’s good to unwind with some music and laugh at that person who did something stupid, there’s always one. The extra leg room seats are near the back by the way. I read reviews which said equipment gets damaged in the busses… for three months not one of us had a single problem, enough said.

Whilst in Canada I met so many people and am still in touch with a lot of the guys on Facebook. It’s not easy for me to see the guys I met on course as I live on an Island but I am currently planning a road trip with one of them to go through the UK and meet others along the way. It’s gonna be siiiiiiick. There’s no doubt you will make lifelong friends with people on the course and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people when I was in Canada, I’m sure you will say the same if you go to.

Emily was our course host and we couldn’t have asked for anyone better. Emily puts in so much effort to make sure the season runs smoothly and believe me, it did. She’s also a damn good rider! Thanks to her and NONSTOP, I had the best three months of my life.

I can’t recommend NONSTOP enough, it was truly the best experience of my life and I hope you get the chance to do the same. Hope to see you at NONSTOCK!

Add me on Facebook if you have any questions
Max Murley

PS. Here’s a video montage from this season:

Nonstop Banff 2011 from max murley on Vimeo.

If you’d like to following in Max’s footsteps, find out more about NONSTOP’s ski instructor courses and snowboard instructor courses.

Since my days of rocking 2 metre skis, jump turning everywhere, I progressed to a short slalom ski (160-170cm), ripping GS turns in the off-piste with a serious need for speed. At no point during that time did I feel the need to jump on a set of fat skis, but when curiosity finally got the better of me I order myself a set of Nordica Beasts. 90mm underfoot and $2500 worth of kit made me excited for my first day skiing them, but it wasn’t to be and at the end of one day at Craigieburn I decided to turn them in as they were not for me!

You might think that experience would be enough to put me off fat skis for good, but all it did was fuel my passion for finding the perfect all round ski, one that could perform across all manner of terrain and mountain and cater for my every skiing need.  A few years past and as time went by my skiing needs changed and endless days of free riding gave way to full days of teaching, which was now accounting for 99% of my time on snow. I wanted a slightly longer ski to account for my diminishing lack of fore/aft balance, however I still wanted a ski that was manoeuvrable enough to handle tight turns and technical skiing.

So began a long and fun process of ski testing. Some skis I had pretty much written off before loading the first lift and I was not often wrong, however others had me umming and arring for almost a hundred days before they were thrown on the proverbial scrap heap. The results were pretty conclusive and were beginning to conjure up the perfect ski design in my head. I found that skis with a deep shaped rocker tended to bend up at the front often sending me over the ‘handle bars’, where as non-rockered skis would nose dive and make it hard work in the variable density NZ powder. Non-reverse side cuts tended to tip over, but too much sidecut or too softer ski would over bend causing an overly tight radius.

The conclusion and final design brief was that I wanted a ski that acted like a slalom ski on hard pack, and then in soft snow was floaty, predictable and solid under pressure, cruising at high speeds on a longer radius turn (not too much to ask is it??). On top of all that I wanted to feel minimal effect on my fore/aft balance in soft snow, which proved the hardest thing of all to achieve.

The desired ski profile was created:

Tip- Rockered and boat-shaped hull style- Why? The boat shape displaces the snow to the side and allows for a progressive build up in pressure. It also deals well with hitting denser, slower snow, creating minimal forward motion of the skier.

Tail- Again rockered but without the boat shape hull- Why? This allows the ski to sit flat in deep snow without a flat tail digging in at the back, which would contribute to a harsh forward flex of the ankle when the rider is perpendicular to the snow.

Side cut- 136 – 110 – 128 with a stiff flexing tip- Why? Prevents the ski from over flexing in deep snow and giving an undesired tight radius. Stiff tip means longer radius!

Body flex- stiff/medium- Why? Solid on all terrain with a predictable nature, while maintaining that lively, snappy feel.

Tail flex- medium/soft- Why? Allows the tails to bend up rather than sink in deep snow, which in turns keeps the skis more level to the slope angle. This allows for a more predictable, skidded turn on all conditions in a defensive situation.

With the design brief and ski profile nailed down, I approached Mike who is the developer for Igneous skis based in Jackson Hole, USA. Mike really ran with the project and after hundreds of R & D hours, consultations with engineers, prototypes and art designs, the Craigieburner BC 181cm ski was born!

At this point I’d like to give a big shout out to Zag skis and Dynastar who pioneered rocker technology and the boat shaped hull. The emergence of rocker technology really got my creative juices flowing and has helped me accomplish this dream!

The first test was at my old stomping ground, the Torlese Range. The day began with an awesome four hour tour up to the summit. The skis were lightweight (just 6kgs with a Marker F10 binding) and felt well balanced for kick turns etc. The skis on the way down were full on and everything I wanted them to be. Superfast to accelerate in soft snow and yet super snappy like a slalom ski on hard pack. I had a few lucky escapes in some sun-baked crusty powder, but the combination of the rocker technology and some early season fitness training saved the day.

Skip to about a minute in for the best footage.

After a hard days skiing I was amazed how well the concept had progressed from a dream on paper through to the end product. Getting used to the super fast acceleration took a while, but once you get that down the skis leave you speechless. Side by side to traditional powder skis on slightly denser snow, the Craigieburner left them for dead. I managed ten tight turns to my fellow skier on the traditional skis, who managed three fall line turns and yet I still reached the bottom before him.

These skis are not for the feint hearted, but for someone looking for a ski that makes variable snow conditions feel smooth with minimal fore/aft affect on the rider, yet still maintaining super fast acceleration and a lively feel, this are the skis for you.

I have other options available if you would like a slightly mellower version, or for the super charger, no holds barred skier there is a 201cm version!

If you would like to find out more about these skis or place an order you can contact me at jaseskiwi@hotmail.com or check them out online at www.igneousskis.com

To join Jase out in New Zealand, check out NONSTOP’s 12 week New Zealand ski instructor course.

Based in the Porters and the Club Fields region of New Zealand, our course has access to some of the best Freeskiing in the Southern Hemisphere. Plus, making the course even better this year, you can now work towards your level 2 NZSIA over the course of the 12 weeks, which will really set you up for a ski instructor jobs around the world!

Everyone who goes to Porters falls in love with the place and there’s no surprise that many of our past NZ course participants have gone on to work there. So, we recently asked Porters Ski School how some of them have got on, and we’re pretty pleased with what they had to say:

Letter from Porters Ski Area:

Since our initial involvement, there hasn’t been a season during our association with NONSTOP that we have not employed graduates from the programme the following year. Because they train on our mountain and spend time developing their skills in a genuine teaching environment, we are able to see the instructors improve their own skiing and their ability to teach. We are always impressed by the personal calibre, work ethic and professionalism these graduates demonstrate.

The big success story on Porters from the programme is Dan Walbeoff, who began his career teaching with us after gaining his Level 1 in 2006. Since then Dan has worked every season for Porters, always challenging himself to gain higher qualifications. Now as a fully qualified instructor, Dan has become our Ski School Director. This is a testimony to Dan’s grit and determination and the excellent mentoring of NONSTOP’s programme director, Jason Collins. Other instructors have worked many seasons with us and now live the dream- instructing year round in both hemispheres.

U. Dinsenbacher
General Manager
Porters Ski Area

What more can we say?! If you’re interested in joining us out in New Zealand, give us a buzz on +44 (0)207 720 6500, email info@nonstopsnow.com or find out more on www.nonstopsnow.com.