Val d’Isere Review

Ah Val d’Isere! I finally got the chance to ride on the magnificent mountains of the French Alps at Val d’Isere. It was beautiful weather all week long with blue bird skies and a golden sun. Despite having not snowed in the region for about 3 weeks, conditions were very good. Yeah, there were patches of ice here and there, but 90% of the terrain was covered with good snow that only got better as you soared in elevation. Starting at about 1850m, a few lifts and a mountain train will get you to a peak of 3650m! With a vast terrain to cover, you can easily spend a week here without getting bored. Off the mountain (or apres ski as they liked to call it), you could wander around the village and the street shops or you could walk into expensive shops and restaurants. For those on a budget, there were a few options, but if you’re going to Val d’Isere, it’ll be worthwhile to spend some money.

The only downside to the trip was the rather quiet night life. We went the first week of February, so that could be it, but for a world class resort like Val d’Isere, I had higher expectations. In any case, we had a great time there and we are definitely going back next year. And if you’re still wondering whether you should go, Val d’Isere gets two big thumbs up from us. We definitely recommend you visit the resort soon.

The ‘Apres Ski’ Activities

• There were plenty of restaurants to choose from with a variety of local French and ‘Alps’ cuisine.
• The party scene was alright with a few options to choose from, including some pubs and clubs.
• Karting and the BMW circuit were a fun surprise.
• For those who like to play online craps or poker, I’m sorry to inform you that we didn’t find any casinos or ‘underground’ gatherings for such activities.
• The Val d’Isere village committee organizes regular street shows and we managed to catch a couple of them during our 5 day stay at the Village. Needless to say, we participated in one of the street dances!

What We Loved

• Awesome and endless terrain – about 24,000 acres
• About 1900m of Vertical
• The snow parks
• The green learning zone
• Blue-bird skies, golden sun, and great conditions
• Very stretched out and well placed lift systems – we did not experience much crowding
• The food, the shops, and the apres-ski shows and beer spots

What We Didn’t Love So Much

• It’s a bit expensive
• Quiet night life (I think the prices are driving away the party animals

Recon-Zeal’s Transcend Shows Us The Future of Goggles

We’ve had our eye on Canadian-based Recon Instruments for a while now, especially when they announced that they would collaborate with Zeal Optics to enter the winter sports goggle market with a revolutionary product estimated for the end of this year. We are absolutely blown away by what they have come up with. Not only does the Recon-Zeal Transcend goggle completely transform the reason we cover our eyes while we ride, it ushers in a completely new era in snowboarding technology.

Let’s get down to the facts.

Features

• World’s only fully-capable GPS goggle.
• Real-time speed, latitude/longitude, altitude, vertical distance traveled, total distance traveled feedback.
• Chronograph/stopwatch mode for timing runs, clock, and run counter.
• Temperature sensor
• Accelerometer
• Gyroscope
• 3-Dimensional lens
• USB-capable
• $399 for SPX version, $499 for SPPX

How does the goggle display all this info?

This is the part we love. The lens has a built-in micro-LCD display that sits right below your right eye (yes, serious black ops stuff). When you put the goggle on all the information is displayed in a user-friendly dashboard that appears to hang six-feet in front of you. Glove-friendly buttons on the outside of the lens help you navigate the full-color display and user menus. One menu will show you stuff like your current speed and altitude, another one will show you your fastest run alongside a few other stats, and somewhere along the way you can punch a button to drop a location marker you can view later on a map.

Transcend's Built-In Micro-LCD Display

The Lens

There are currently two models for this line of goggles. The Transcend SPPX is fitted with a polarized photochromic lens. That’s right, this lens will get darker or brighter adaptively depending on sunlight conditions. The brighter it is, the higher the rate of activation of the photochromic pigment and the darker the lens will get. In low-light situations the lens becomes much clearer as the pigment remains deactivated. The Transcend SPX comes fitted with your standard high-end polarized lens without all the fancy photochromic features.

Software

Recon Instruments developed a special program for this product that you comes with the goggles. Using the Recon HQ application, you can plug the goggle into your system and upload all your data. The software will pull-up actual maps of the resort you just rode, layout all your tracks on it, and give you all your stats. You can connect to the Recon Instruments website and share your info with an online community that’s becoming increasingly popular. Recon has also talked about the possibility of a software development community for more apps that can potentially be accessed directly from the goggles.

Recon HQ Application

This is one product we definitely cannot wait to get our hands on for the 2010-2011 riding season. Products like these can definitely help a rider get the most out of the relatively short-lived action on the slopes. Besides, who doesn’t want to feel like a commando while shredding some pow?

Check out the official product page here.

Verbier, Switzerland Resort Review

One of the resorts that I  had the chance of riding this season was Verbier. In fact, I got a chance to go twice and it would be very unfair to both the resort and you if I wait too long to write up this review. My first trip to Verbier was a quick 2 day experience in February as I was passing through Geneva on my way back to Toronto. My second trip to Verbier was a 5 day non-stop riding and partying bonanza with my closest friends, whom I hadn’t seen for almost 2 years!

60 Second Elevator Pitch

Everyone has heard about Verbier at one point or another. Whether it’s epic stories about their nightlife, their ‘drink till you pass out on the hills’ philosophy, or their slopes and backcountry offering, there’s a wicked time to be had at this popular Alps resort. If you’ve never been to Verbier, you have to go. Families, couples, and friends will have an insane time as there really is something for anyone. Everyone is pretty friendly and you’ll have a wicked time exploring the endless terrain – Verbier is part of the Les 4 Vallees ski are which includes the ski resorts of Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumaz, and Thyon with a total of 410 km marked runs. Just make sure you’re not wallet shy, because this place is not cheap, but well worth it!

What We Love

• Excellent lifts, on-piste and off-piste terrain – it’s endless!
• The nightlife, food, and parties
• It’s the Alps
• Powwwder
• Tuesday nights when the Chalet girls have their night out!
• Old school log/wood chalet and availability of cheaper accommodation close to the center of the resort
• Professional patrol and emergency rescue system
• Insane weather!

What We Didn’t Love

• Expensive (with that said, its worth it)
• The terrain is obviously not beginner/novice friendly
• Limited accommodation for trips less than 7 days

Best For

• Party lovers
• Off-piste and backcountry dare devils
• Anyone looking to marry rich

Worst For

• Inexperienced riders and skiers
• Park junkies (the current park is pretty decent, but nothing you can spend more than a few hours on)

Tips

• You can save money by staying down the mountain in Le Chable now thatthe new evening bus service which runs between it and Verbier is active.
• Make sure you are there at least on a Friday or Saturday night.
• Tuesday night is when the Chalet girls have their night out, so make sure you are ready to shred snow on Wednesday with no sleep at all!
• Wednesday nights are the quietest so plan for Wednesday to be your easy night in.
• Have the fondue at Le Caveau
• If you plan on going off-piste/backcountry, shell out the extra 4 CHF for insurance which includes a free helicopter emergency ride (we got stuck somewhere way off off-piste, and after about 90 minutes of endless exploring, we called ski patrol who sent us a helicopter to get us out from what they called the “late march melting snow trap”.)

Have you had a different or similar experience? Share it with us in the comments!

K2 Brigade 2010 Snowboard Review

According to the K2 team, the Brigade snowboard is an all-terrain exploration machine. I’m not one to fall for marketing gimmicks, but as my search for the ultimate all-terrain snowboard has not ended yet, it would be unwise of me to pass up a demo opportunity.

What: 2010 155 K2Brigade, $250-$300.

Where & When: Verbier, Swiss Alps in late March 2010.

Conditions: Sunny, clear as crystal skies, and packed powder/hard packed (some areas were hard pack while others were packed powder).

Setup: Burton C60 Bindings + Burton Ion Boots.

First Run: Verbier “Jumbo ” from the bottom of Mont Fort to the La Chaux peak for a combination of off-piste, groomed, corridors, and moguls in one go.

Technology Worth Mentioning

• Twin shape: This board is symmetrical in shape (equal length tip and tail), thus should feel the same whether riding regular or switch
• Dual Progressive sidecut: Sidecuts designed for any level of rider, K2′s DUAL PROGRESSIVE sidecut is a mistake-friendly, fun and forgiving sidecut, which allows for more consistent riding in all situations.
• Catch Free Camber: According to K2, the Catch Free Camber design translates into a small amount of Rocker in the tip and tail with a reduced camber for a ‘fun and easy’ ride. Basically, the tip and tail have been raised a bit while reducing how high the middle of the board archs (camber) upwards from the floor.

Expectations: I was told this was a more intermediate snowboard, so I’ve kept that in mind – though I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist speeding on this board. At one point I was going so fast on this thing, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make the corridor turn I was zooming towards, so I just went off the edge. Luckily, there was enough powder to soften my landing.

First Impressions: The K2 Brigade was most certainly a fun and laid back board and the Catch Free Camber was surprisingly evident. I didn’t think the Catch Free Camber design would have any impact but while preserving the feel of a camber, the reduced arch in the middle led to less edge catching.

Flex/Pop/Stability: K2 made sure the flex of this board was forgiving and fun. It wasn’t too soft, but it definitely wasn’t too stiff. If you’ve ever tried a Burton Custom, you’ll notice that they feel very similar. Popping the board was easy and soft on the knees (but just like any other board, make sure you land smoothly lest you hurt your knee). While a fun board, I didn’t feel too comfortable bombing down Verbier’s slopes aggressively. Chatter isn’t a problem under high speeds, but the board will give out if you need to stop quickly or turn sharply.

Park/Jumps: Don’t worry about taking this thing into the park every now and then, but you should be spending more time shredding groomed runs with the Brigade than making a fool of yourself on the rails. However, this board was a ton of fun taking off jumps and landing the m. 180′s and 360′s for anyone!

Carving/Switching: Any beginner and intermediate will find carving and turning with this board pretty easy to do. However, if you start picking up speeds, you’ll notice the board giving out more often than not. Moreover, K2 was successful at maintaining the board’s playfulness by doing a good job with the boards twin design. Long story short, switches feel as natural as possible.

Pros/Best for:

• Fun and forgiving all-mountain board.
• Jumping and on-mountain features.
• Good Value for Money.

Cons/Worst for:

• Not as stable under high speeds and increased riding aggressiveness.
• Rails and boxes.

Conclusion: If you’re more a beginner looking for a fun board that isn’t too expensive to take your riding to the next level, this might just do it. If you’re an intermediate (looking to progress), an expert, a park junkie, or an aggressive rider, this will not be a good board for you.

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