Long Live The Dream!! Happy 4th of July
By: Todd Jones | Tuesday, July 08, 2008
The 4th of July parade in Victor Idaho goes off. We decided to resurrect the legendary Tangerine Dream truck and throw some winter stoke around the event. The TGR tour department made the mission over Teton Pass on July 3rd and delivered the Dream to the parade grounds. The morning was typical of any day with the truck, as we struggled to get it started and people were amped to get in line. Eight minutes before the start of the parade, just as we were getting ready to rig tow ropes to tow the truck in the parade, Steve Jones gave it one last try. Hoots and Hollers filled the air as the Dream turned over. We would be the last float in line.
The TGR crew handed out posters, dvd’s and candy to stoked parade spectators. In tradition, Micah Black captained the rig. In the back was ski film legend Greg Stump, the extended Jones Family(Kai, Steve, Todd and Shelly), local rock legend Dave the Brain, Sturgis Uncensored star Kris Bacheldor, Sam, and Saint. Victor is one of the finest 4th locations on the planet. Music followed at the Knotty Pine Supper Club. The evening was capped off with a private party performance at Todd’s Farm with local favorites Dolman, Black and the Brain. It is rumored that our fireworks display rivaled the Town of Driggs.
Thanks to the
TGR Tour crew, Aaron Hamby, Sam Petri, and Tigger-http://tetongravity.com/outthere/tour.aspx
Dolman, Black and the Brain- http://www.myspace.com/dolmanblackandthebrain
The Knotty Pine Supper Club
The Town of Victor
Turkey, The origins of snowboarding discovered
By: Todd Jones | Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The following is a summer hold over excerpt from a classic Jeremy Jones' blog entry this past winter on jeremyjones.info . Enjoy
It is so hard to explain what happen today so I will just stick to the facts. We drove for three hours up a valley that culminated with 12 switchbacks carved into the side of a 70-degree mountain face. At the top of the gnarliest road I have ever driven on, sits a small village that is surrounded by fields of upon fields of perfect powder.
Like most of the towns in Turkey, it is older than my country, but that is not why it is special. It is the first place people started standing sideways on boards and gliding down hills over 150 years ago.
90% of the town rides, no one has ever skied there and the equipment and the style has stayed true to its origins. We met up with the oldest rider in the village, Celime.
He is seventy years old, and started riding in 1946. He has been riding almost daily for 62 years and it shows. Gimpl and I dropped in next to him he took of effortlessly, standing tall and proud as we did all we could to hold on.
The sport was started out of necessity to get around the village in deep snow. The boards are so perfect for the terrain and snow conditions that the equipment had hardly changed in 150 years.
We sessioned the local hill for awhile and then headed up to the mosque for some après’ tea around the fire. I couldn’t get the questions out fast enough.
Are there any contest? Yes. Do you hit jumps? Yes? When was the first time you saw a modern snowboard? Three years ago. Do you have any desire to use new equipment? No.
Has anyone in the town ever skied? No.
What really overwhelmed me was how content they were. There seemed to be little desire to progress the equipment or their riding. They hit jumps but do not have specific tricks.
You never know what you will find when you travel. Once again, the bond of sharing a few powder turns breaks down language barriers and cultural differences. Big thanks to the locals for letting us into their lives for the day.
Grand Targhee Magic
By: Todd Jones | Sunday, May 11, 2008
We finally got the Grand Targhee project off the ground. We woke in the morning to a foot of fresh snow. Sage, Marc Andre, and Sammy shredded pow lines while Wiley, Taylor and Dylan put the fine tune on the jumps. The Rock Chuck feature was super cool and had a ton of pop to it. Everyone got a bunch of great shots. We eventually made our way over to jump 2 and a last minute unplanned session went down in the weaning hours of daylight. We had a full 16 hour day and everyone was super fulfilled and tired. Targhee is truly unlike any other mountain we have built features on. You can basically ride lines into the in run of the jumps if you want. Sammy and Taylor have been scoping a bunch of other semi natural jibs we are going to work. I love the backyard and am stoke to have all the boys up to session in it. We are looking at a day of weather and then some bluebird for the rest of the week.
Grand Targhee Super Session
By: Todd Jones | Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Grand Targhee is best known for being one of the top powder riding mountains in the world. This spring TGR and Targhee are collaborating to build some crazy super features with Targhee’s amazing backdrops. Sage, Dylan Hood, Wiley Miller, Dash Longe, and Sammy Carlson are the crew. We have 3 spots we have been scoping and building. This shoot is unique in that the features are being built into the natural terrain of the mountain, not a terrain park. It is really cool to be doing this shoot in TGR’s backyard, at the resort where 13 years ago, TGR filmed it’s infamous cliff hucking segment that helped launch us into the action sports film world. Another cool tidbit is that Sage was on hand as a grommet that day 13 years ago, unbeknownst to us, watching the boys throw down at his home mountain. Now we get to bring Sage back home and reunite him with the mountain where he grew up riding and got his wings. Check back for more updates from the Targhee Super Session.
AK Mega Day!
By: Jeremy Jones | Monday, April 14, 2008
We have been waiting a long time for this break. I pushed my departure back three times to get this day and I took full advantage of every minute. It has been a long time since I have seen conditions this good.
Photo 1:
Do to the heavily fluted face and sluffed out aprons we were able to hit this classic spine wall right out of the gate with very little snow assessment.
Photo 2:
I hiked in from the right, cutting the cornice along the way. My entry was 1 foot to the right of the big hanging cornice. I swear I could have thrown a snowball and got the big one to drop. It took 30minutes to got 30 ft but it was worth it. Conditions have to be perfect to ride spines this steep and today they were.
Photo 4:
A classic line that has alluded me for years. This was the one line I wanted to hit this year in Haines. When I first saw it 8 years ago I was mentally not ready to step up to it. Now its considered a party run.
Photo 5:
Walking the fine line from falling off a big cliff on one side and getting sluffed or slid down the other.. pic Roner
Photo 6:
This is the moment I live for. Warmed up, snow tested, cameras ready, and seconds away from dropping into a line I have been looking at for 8 years. It is lines like this that help me get through the dog days of summer.
Photo 7:
Seth Morrison told me this was the best day he has had in AK. He said for years he had looked at all these spine walls but was with the wrong crew to session them. He fits well with our crew and I hope to have many more days like this with him in the future. This is his 10th and final run of the day. check out www.tetongravity.com to order next years movie Under the Influence. Check out jeremyjones.info for more epic blogs
Haines: 33 Mile Roadhouse
By: Jeremy Jones | Friday, April 11, 2008
33 Mile Roadhouse
Eight years ago we had a problem on our hands. Valdez, the place that changed our lives and became an annual pilgrimage every spring was getting played out. Those endless horizons of unnamed peaks where no longer a mystery and any peak worth a dam had a staked out landing that belonged to one of the 4 heli operations. Our lawless dreamland was becoming over run with rules and film crews. You had a better chance of getting a first descent in the Tetons then the Chugach and we were re-shooting the same terrain year after year.
The desire for a new world led us to Skagway, 40 miles from Haines. Our new world turned into our worst trip ever and after three weeks we tucked our tails and drove threw the night back to Valdez . It was not all for nothing. Total desperation had set in and we found ourselves flying away from the rock strewn, wind hammered peaks of Skagway toward “the white” in a fixed wing plane. “The White” turned out to be 30 miles outside of Haines with a gas station/restaurant sitting perfectly in the hart of it. A year later we made an agreement to base out of 33 Mile Road House and the rest is history.
We did all we could to down play Haines calling it South East Alaska and claiming the weather was way worse then Valdez. The footage contradicted our claims and after a few year people caught on. The 33 Mile Road House is now over run with riders and acts as a makeshift lodge.
If you want to ride in Haines you better know Sean Dog. He started the operation so he could ride with his friends. His operation is “AK Style.” You will not be picked up in a fancy car or served hot chocolate on the glacier but with any luck you will ride the best run of your life.
For years you would be hard pressed to see another pro rider in Haines. In the heart of the season there will be up to 50 pro skiers or snowboarders milling around outside the roadhouse.
Alaska: Here We Go!!
By: Todd Jones | Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I can’t tell you how many times we have flown into Alaska super fired up, only to sit in a snow and rain storm for a week. This season has been epic all over the West. The snow has fallen almost daily, and we have had had some the finest days I can remember. This good luck and vibe proved to continue to bless us as we rolled into stable snow and bluebird skies. We are here for the rest of the season. The crew is Seth Morrison, Jeremy Jones, Dana Flahr, and Eric Roner. Josh Neilsen and myself are behind the lenses. Jim Conway, AKA Sarge, is our lead guide for the trip.
Day 1 showed that the crew has been skiing and working hard all year. We rolled into the mountains and got amazing freeruns and filming from the get go. It is nice to be back in Haines. This is where some of the finest moments of my life have occurred. Already we are back in the mix. Unfortunately the clouds came in late in the day and we are in a massive storm. Check back for some updates from the great North Country!
Jeremy Jones Wins Big Mountain Pro Comp!
By: Todd Jones | Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Press Release
Jeremy Jones convincingly won this year’s Swatch O’Neill Big Mountain Pro following two fast fluid runs which had all the other riders astounded, unanimously voting him the winner of the snowboard category and the majority of riders voting him the overall winner.
“It wasn’t my goal to win,” said the American O’Neill highly experienced freerider. “I came here to ride fun lines and see what happened. To come out on top is an amazing feeling.”
Behind him in the snowboarding category was last year’s winner, Xavier de le Rue, who had a stunning strong first line, but was not as fluid on the second face of the competition. In third place was Austrian O’Neill rider, Mitch Toelderer.
Kaj Zackrisson won the skiing title for the second year running with his impressive double drops and adventurous lines down both faces. “I am very happy to win this for the second year,” said the ever-smiling Swedish skier.
Behind him was Aurelien Ducroz, the French skier from Chamonix particularly impressing with his drops and line on the second face, which had suited skiers a lot more than the snowboarders. In third place was the Swiss skier, Phil Meier.
In keeping with the unique format of this event, it was the riders who chose the winners of the competition. Sitting in the freeriding resort of La Grave, the 26 riders watched four hours of videos of every run from the competition, ranking each of their fellow riders – both skiers and snowboarders – over both runs.
Head judge from the Freerider World Tour was overseeing the whole process to make sure there were no major discrepancies.
“You saw the mountain so it makes face for you to judge the runs,” he told the riders. “You know how steep it is, what was below and how dangerous it was.”
The results mean that Austrian snowboarder, Flo Orley, finishing fifth maintained his lead on the Freeride World Tour rankings following this event. “That saved my day,” he said on finding out his result after not being completely happy with his riding over the two days. “It has been great though, a good vibe, hanging out with friends.”
Fifth place after the week was enough to clear skier Henrik Windstedt into the lead in the Freeride World Tour rankings.
Following an award ceremony in La Grave, it was on to the closing party where the riders enjoyed the entertainment from a local band, before dancing the night away. With incredible riding, beautiful mountains and a good vibe amongst friends, it is an event that all the riders are looking forward to again this time next year.
Check out Jeremyjones.info for updates on Jeremy's season.