There is a constant layer of frost in my backyard that continues to remind me winter is here to stay. The mountains start opening this weekend and there are plenty of excited people in town anticipating a great season ahead!
7am:
Tom & I hit the road bound for Treble Cone’s access road. Maybe we should’ve ridden from town but our coffees would spill.
7:30:
With a very short warm-up, we ride from the TC arch and start shedding layers…
A great day for snowboarding…
The 2015 DB Banked Slalom starring a mix of local and pro riders including Terje Haakonsen, Danny Davis, Mikkel Bang, Scotty Lago, Ben Ferguson and Amber Schuecker was battled out on one of Treble Cone’s natural halfpipes. My result was not quite as good as last year because of a wee crash, however I managed 10th. Thanks to Thierry Huet Professional Photographer & Sponsors DB Export and Never Summer NZ.
Bringing it back to how the sport started… Bring on a New Zealand/Southern Lakes Series I say!
A clear visual picture will always help a learning process. It definitely helps when the delivery is clean, simple and gives the student a solid understanding of the task. It was a privilege to not only present these tasks, but to do them on a world-class mountain like Treble Cone. The following video was a project the SBINZ team and I worked on during a couple of days during the NZ season of 2014.
Great work by http://www.360newzealand.com and the SBINZ Trainer crew. Cheers boys!
Please excuse the out-takes at the end… they insisted on including them!
The quad lift reaches tower 6 and the SW wind really starts to kick in… Like a sand-blaster, snow is picked up and shot into me, particularly my glove-less hand which is hoping to get a photo of how epic Treble Cone’s pipes are looking.
This last week on Treble Cone has treated many skiers and riders to some cold winter conditions. The gullies are loaded with some high quality snow which has been getting sprayed all over the place by stoked locals and visitors.
The great news is that conditions are looking mighty fine for the Banked Slalom which is being held in 6 days time. An international flavor to the start list is usually expected next weekend including Olympians, World Cup racers and die-hard locals. All of which have an equal chance of winning a cash prize pool of over $2000 and assorted prizes.
35 years young? No problem, there is a Masters category just for you. Thanks to the generous and very supportive sponsor Never Summer Snowboards and Candy Grind, Treble Cone will host one of the worlds most famous snowboard gatherings. Get your kit tuned by the pros at The Wax Room be sure to enter and I look forward to seeing you there!
Check out the hi-lights from the 2013 DB Export Banked Slalom:
That feeling you get when the pressure is on… deep in the belly and mind. My deep breathes attempt to calm the roller coaster of nerves. As I visualize the course below, flashes of red and blue flags fade away as the mist rolls in over Treble Cone. The NLP skills were coming in handy in both competition and in instructor training.
A celebration of friends, snowboarding and enjoying the mountains… The Treble Cone Banked Slalom was once again a day to look forward to. Athletes from all over the world including Bulgaria, Canada and France competed in the most infamous banked slalom in New Zealand.
Rob Fagan managed fastest male and Carle Brenneman fastest female. My second run put me in second place overall just a second and a half behind the Olympic Athlete Rob Fagan himself. As he came 5th in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in Boarder Cross, I felt pretty good with my efforts!
A nice early way to celebrate turning 31 which happens to be today!
Thanks to Carl at Neversummer & Candygrind for the continued support to myself and the other team riders. Without his support, events like these would never run. Events like these help remind us how awesome the sport can be, as it is as much a gathering of friends as it is a competition.
Here is a really cool edit made from the day from the guys down at Colab Wanaka.
And to finish the day… An epic wake surfing session with Mark, Colin, Lachlan, Rosie, Sofia and friends!
Official video
We were fortunate to enjoy some of the best opening conditions in ten years. Treble Cone put on a great day with lines stretching as far as the Motatapu Shutes. Enjoy the video below made by Jase at Basket Productions.
John Jo from Rideclass Productions spent an hour at Treble Cone going through a couple of tips to work on feeling better in variable snow. Below is a 4 minute video… Have a fun last few weeks of the season! Visit Rookie Academy for more information.
Snowboard Improvement: Stance and Balance riding off piste. from Rookies on Vimeo.
Freshies were enjoyed on a bright Sunday at Treble Cone! With more snow on the forecast, it’s going to be an awesome last few weeks of the 2012 season.
<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/49135243″>Best Day of 2012? Riders and Sliders last day.</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/treblecone”>Treble Cone</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>The most anticipated competition day of the season had arrived! Over 60 competitors enjoyed a beautiful sunny day at Treble Cone, which was a nice contrast to the gloomy days in previous seasons. As I left my group of Rookies I’d been training during the morning, I headed for Shooter to complete my first run. The top section rode well, however as I approached the 3rd to last gate my board dug itself into a rut and I crashed into the bank. My left shoulder took the impact and ended up tearing a ligament, my AC joint A disappointing first run with the chance of a redemption run not an option. The next few weeks will involve physio, patience, rest and strengthening. Onwards and upwards!
Watch the video below – At 3 minutes 57 seconds, John Jo from Ride Class Productions captured a section of my run.
New Zealand Snowboarder Magazine Banked Slalom from Treble Cone on Vimeo.
Richie Johnston 