Absenteeism

To all our regular readers and the many new readers coming to SnowboardGo on a daily basis, let me apologize to you for the snail pace at which new content is being posted during this fine month of February. Mo and I have been resort hopping the past few weeks and have had very little time to post much. We will be back at the end of March and will resume our regular brainwashing activities.

Until then, enjoy this powder happy video:

Gretchen Bleiler Interview on the TODAY Show

It’s been pretty quiet on SnowboardGo lately but for good reason (read: mountain hopping). In any case, this was submitted to me via email and thought it would be a lazy way to update the site. Don’t be fooled though, the video is pretty good.

Yes, I know posting the interview this late is ironic, but better late than never.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

2010 Winter Olympics Recap and Highlights

With women’s Alpine training runs again delayed by heavy rain and snow, American favorite Lindsey Vonn successfully tested her bruised right shin on her own rigorous slalom training session, and her husband declared her ready to race.After a weekend of Winter Olympics goodness and action, it’s time to put up a post to recap the weekend’s highlights. This might not include everything, but I’ll try my best.

Opening Ceremonies

• The opening ceremonies began with a pretty impressive shot of a snowboarder coming down a mountain while listing the previous 21 Winter Olympic games years.
• The snowboarder entered a Maple leaf (the Canadian national symbol) design made with torchbearers and ended with the snowboarder coming down a ramp into the stadium.
• The underlying theme was mostly related to the First Nations of Canada.
• This was followed by a 4-part celebration, with the first part showcased Aurora Borealis on circle screens which came down from the stadium’s ceiling. The most spectacular part was when the display of orcas moving across the floor and water spouts shooting out of the floor.
• The second part of the show was related to Quebec, featuring a fiddler in a canoe coming from the ceiling.
• The third part was about the prairies of Canada. It was a simple one man acrobatic show, with the the floor featuring the prairies as the acrobat performed.
• The final part of the show featured the Canadian Rockies, where skiers and snowboarders came down from the ceiling as to appear riding the awesome rockies.

Medals Overview

• USA now has 8 medals, followed by Germany with 5 and France with 4.
• Switzerland has 3 Golds, followed by USA with 2 and France with 2.

Snowboarding

• Kelly Clark who won a gold medal in the last Olympics can do a 900 degree spin which is basically spinning in the air and rotating more than 2 full times around. If she lands that, she will most likely receive the gold medal this year.
• Her counterpart on the men’s snowboarding team, Shaun White is no small contender either. He won gold in the last Olympics and is expected to medal again. U.S. snowboarding is quite dominant and it is a fun sport to watch.

Men’s

• Alexandre Bilodeau won the gold medal in men’s moguls, the first time a Canadian has won an Olympic event on home soil. Canadians failed to win a single gold at the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal and the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Congratulations Alexandre!
• Jason Lamy Chappuis who competes for France, edged Johnny Spillane of Steamboat Springs, Colo., to win the Nordic combined. Spillane’s silver was the first medal for the U.S. in 86 years of competing in the sport that combines ski jumping and a 10-kilometer cross-country ski race.
• Five-time Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjoerndalen struggled with his shooting in failing to win his sixth gold medal. He still has four more opportunities at these games.
• Jung-Su Lee from S. Korea, Apolo Anton Ohno from the USA, and J.R Celski from the USA win the Men’s 1500m Gold, Silver, and Bronze respectively.

Weomen’s

• With women’s Alpine training runs again delayed by heavy rain and snow, American favorite Lindsey Vonn successfully tested her bruised right shin on her own rigorous slalom training session, and her husband declared her ready to race.
• Martina Sablikova gave the Czech Republic its first speedskating medal by winning the women’s 3,000 meters.
• Jenny Potter scored three goals in the first 22 minutes as the U.S. opened the preliminary round of the women’s hockey tournament with a 12-1 romp over China.
• Hannah Kearney from the USA, Jennifer Heil from Canada, and Shannon Bahrke from the USA win the Ladies’ Moguls Gold, Silver, and Bronze respectively.

Misc

• The Chinese pair, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo won the gold for the the pairs free program figure skating competition.

Mont Tremblant Resort Review

I’ve raked in at least 45-50 days on Tremblant in the past 5 years or so. Having gone up there so many times with all kinds of riders and skiers, I think it’s time for a good ol’ review for those considering Tremblant as a destination.

As one of the largest snowboarding areas in Canada and being backed by the same guys running the show at Whistler Blackcomb, one can only expect great things. The mountain’s layout is excellent and well planned, covering two main sides, the South and the North in addition to two edge sides. The South side gives initial access to the runs which are all carved out of thick forest. The North side is a little smaller, but offers the same degree of cool riding.

Our Elevator Pitch

Mont Tremblant is definitely our favorite North American east coast resort. Very few resorts on the East Coast come close to the variety of the slopes and runs available at Mont Tremblant. The apres-ski atmosphere is pretty good on the weekends, but not so much midweek. For those on a budget, staying at a nearby hotel/hostel is an excellent option as they are all a 3-7 minute bus ride away. The village itself offers all kinds of things to do for just about anyone. Tremblant is definitely a must visit, especially for the family types.

What We Love

• The excellent and well planned slopes and runs. Bombing down from the top to the base as quick as you possibly can will take you about 5-8 minutes. On average it’ll take you about 10-15 minutes to make it down.
• Snowboard/Ski valet right next to the Gondola so you don’t have to worry about carrying your gear to and from the main lift.
• Great village with many dining and leisure options to choose from.
• Excellent line up of accommodation choices. “En plus”, budget trips need not shy away as cheap accommodation is available minutes away from the village. Combine that with Mont Tremblant’s T-Pack offer for 2 day lift tickets for ~$70 total.

What We Don’t Love

• Gets pretty damn cold up there.
• The crowd… but then again this is a problem at most of the popular resorts.
• Subdued night life especially for the younger crowds.
• Terrain park has very limited features and the half pipe is not always available.

Best For

• Families who want that European/French ‘alps’ village feel.
• Groups/families looking to spend and those on a budget.
• Intermediates looking to up their game

Worst For

• Party animals, unless you go during college break week or in big groups
• Backcountry/off-piste lovers – there just isn’t any.
• People who really detest the cold.

Trail Map

Click the above image for an interactive trail map.

Resort Statistics

• Resort Type: Alpine
• Winter: Nov to May
• Summer: None
• Board Leashes required: Yes
• Night Riding: No

Lifts

• Total Lifts: 12
• Gondolas: 2
• Chair lifts: 9
• Drag lifts: 1
• Max people per hour: 27,230

Mountain

• Total pistes/trails: 94
• Total ride area: 602 acres
• Longest run: 3.75miles (6km)
• Top lift: 875m
• Vertical drop: 694m
• First lift: 181m

Pistes Difficulty

• Green runs: 17%
• Red runs: 33%
• Black runs: 50%

Lift Passes

• Half-day ~$50
• Full-Day ~$80
• Lift times:8.30am to 4.00pm

Snowfall

• Average annual snowfall: 3.82 metres
• Artificial snowmaking coverage: 70%

Facilities/Misc

• Snowboard/Ski Schools: Excellent
• Snowboard/Ski Rentals: Yes
• Snowboard/Ski Valet: Yes, about $5 for overnight – right next to the main gondola
• Heliboarding: Not available
• Snowmobiles: Yes

Halldore Wins X Games Big Air Video Mashup

Pro rider Halldore Helgason wins the X Games Big Air with the best possible score. Check out the footage below directly from the competition!

The video was uplaoded by Halldore and his crew.