Video Contest winner shares an epic season at Vail

VIDEO: Contest winner rides wild in Vail

Congratulations to Dan Malone,  the season’s second winner in the Third Annual Swany Outdoor Adventures Video Contest. Not only did Dan make a great video, he managed to break his back in the process! Dan explains more on that below, but as you watch the boarders in this video fly off cliffs, perhaps you’ll understand how.

For his winning entry, Dan gets a pair of great Swany Gloves.

In his own words: “I’m from Maple Grove, Minn., born and raised an outdoor enthusiast as a hockey player and avid snowmobiler.  Opted out of junior and college hockey to attend Colorado State University and became addicted to the mountain lifestyle. Learned to snowboard in northern Minnesota (Lutsen Mountain) at age 8 and have been progressing ever since! Moved to Vail after college in the winter season of 2010-2011, the best season on record, with three of my best friends.

“This video was made with coworkers and friends at Vail Mountain.  All video is from GoPro HD camera.  I broke a vertebrae in my neck on March 27, 2011, skied the next 30 days to end the season and had cervical fusion on c6/c7 of the neck in early July, which is when I decided to compile some EPIC clips from my previous season at Vail. This is a compilation of my winter with some of the best friends anyone could ever imagine. Thanks to all my ripper friends!”

Have a video that you’d like to enter? Just upload it to the likes of YouTube or Vimeo, then send us the URL at swanygloves@gmail.com. That’s all there is to it! Complete rules here.

Check out the video of the season’s first winner, Cameron Little, right here.

Take a look at last season’s winners in the  Swany Outdoor Adventure Video Contest winners, which ranged from the aerial acrobatics of Bobby Brown to out-of-control sledding to daring mountain rescues.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Another amazing, winning weekend for Lindsey Vonn in World Cup skiing; Bode Miller penalized

Lindsey Vonn after winning the downhill in St. Moritz.

One thing is clear this year: Lindsey Vonn is winning in BUNCHES. Earlier this season she ripped off several wins in a row in Canada and Colorado.

This past weekend in St. Moritz, the American speedster won back-to-back races (super combined, downhill) on Friday and Saturday before just missing the trifecta on Sunday, running second to Maria Hoefl-Riesch in another super combined. Julia Mancuso had a great result on Saturday, finishing fifth in downhill.

MEN’S WORLD CUP

The amazing Didier Cuche keeps setting records for longevity: The Swiss star extended his own record for oldest man to win a World Cup race when he won the downhill at Garmisch on Saturday (Jan 28). Bode Miller had to start later because he was late for the bib draw the day before and the rough course hurt his chances. See how they finished.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

X Games Recap: Shaun White makes history with a perfect score in halfpipe; Bobby Brown reclaims Big Air crown

Shaun White on his way to pipe perfection at Winter X Games

Wow! What else to say after Shaun White produced a perfect score of “100” on Sunday in snowboard superpipe on the final day of X-Games in Aspen.

Even crazier: White already had the competition locked up after his first run proved untouchable by the rest of the field. But instead of goofing off in the pipe, the red-headed superstar made history. And what about those Zebra-print pants? Read more.

Speaking of superstars stepping up at the right time, Bobby Brown proved he’s at the top of the heap with a strong effort on Saturday (Jan. 28) to win Big Air at X-Games. Consistency was a key, Brown said afterward, but it took more than that. Read more.

(Get results from the entire weekend.)

That wasn’t all the action on Saturday, which was another stirring one for Canadian skiers:

• Men’s Ski Superpipe: Young American David Wise topped the talented field, including Torin Yater-Wallace and Simon Dumont, for the gold. Results.
• Women’s Ski SuperPipe: It was an emotional win for Canadian skier Roz Groenewoud, who celebrated the memory of friend, fellow Canadian and superpipe star, the late Sarah Burke. Results.

FRIDAY, Jan. 27: Results from Friday included:

• Men’s Snowboard Big Air: Canadian Mark McMorris won on the strength of his first twp passes to clip Torstein Horgmo. Results.
• Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle: Jamie Anderson of the US got the win. Results.
• Women’s Snowboard Superpipe: Californian Kelly Clark saved her best for last, scoring 93.66 to easily win the women’s Superpipe competition. See where Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter wound up. Results.

THURSDAY, Jan. 26: It was a day of great emotion (a wonderful tribute to the late  Sarah Burke you can watch) and some milder concerns (Shaun White reinjured a sprained ankle) as Winter X opened in Aspen.

Thursday’s results on the slopes:

• Men’s Ski Slopestyle:  Red-hot Tom Wallisch continued his winning ways this season, followed by Nick Goepper and Andreas Hatveit. Meanwhile, Bobby Brown came oh-so-close to reaching the podium on his final run. Results.
• Women’s Ski Slopestyle: Canadian superstar Kaya Turski was not to be denied. Results.
• Snowboard Street: Rookie Forest Bailey of Boulder, Colo., claimed the gold. Results.

Find a Winter X Games Guide and a TV schedule.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Our day at the Snow Show in Denver: The newest skis, boards, headphones, sleds and MORE

SkiLogik skis look old, ski new.

It wasn’t ALL about Swany Gloves on opening day Thursday at the SIA Snow Show in Denver. We had the good fortune to stroll the floor for an hour or so, checking out the newest skis, boards, headphones, sleds and a whole lot more. There’s no doubt about it: Lots of cool gear is headed to stores. Check out our slideshow on Facebook (and give us a “Like” while you’re at it).

Some bold boards from Rossignol.

Are you ready for some X Games action? The world’s best are ready to invade Aspen

UPDATE: The X-Games start today, but not before Shaun White, Gretchen Blieler, Jen Hudak and other competitors paid tribute to the late Sarah Burke, who will be honored with a candlelight vigil tonight.

Also: Read a Q&A with Shaun White and see what injury will keep Lindsey Jacobellis from another X Games gold in boardercross.

Jan. 25: Things are starting to pop up in Aspen as pre-competition training is in full swing. In addition, ESPN plans to honor the memory of Sarah Burke, the Canadian freeskiing superstar who tragically died last week after a training accident. Learn more.

Other things to check out:

• ESPN’s very cool Sports Science crew takes a video look at how athletes use Torque to spin and flip on the slopes.
• Check out this lineup of music playing in and around Aspen this weekend.

Jan. 24: It’s back. Winter X Games 2012 Aspen will bring the usual mix of outdoor adventure insanity to the Roaring Fork Valley and TV sets everywhere starting Thursday and running through Sun (Jan. 29).

There’s no doubt that the recent death of freeskier Sarah Burke, after a halfpipe training accident, will be on the minds of many of the competitors. But there’s also little doubt that skiers and boarders will be extending the known boundaries with tricks and air like we’ve never seen.

And all the stars should be there: Shaun White, Bobby Brown, Louie Vito, Torin Yater-Wallace, Scotty Lago, Kelly Clark, Gretchen Bleiler, Torah Bright and many more.

Watch on the ESPN networks: ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will feature 16 hours of live, HD programming from Winter X Games Aspen 2012. ESPN3 will stream more than nine hours and ESPN 3D will deliver 25 hours. Find more profiles, schedules and video online.

Check out this great Guide to Winter X from the Denver Post.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Season’s first Video Contest winner enjoys a powder day at Apex Mountain in British Columbia

All hail Cameron Little, this season’s FIRST winner in the Third Annual Swany Outdoor Adventures Video Contest. For his winning entry, Cameron gets a pair of great Swany Gloves.

In his own words: “My home town is Port Angeles, Wash., though I live at Apex Mountain Resort (B.C) in the winter. I’m currently a Computer Science/Honors student at Western Washington University in Bellingham. My parents introduced me to skiing when I was 4 years old. I raced a bit when I was younger, then got involved in freestyle at Apex six or seven years ago. Last winter I coached the D-Team at Apex, and this year I’m instructing and shredding at Mt. Baker Ski Area.

The video I submitted was one awesome day at Apex this winter break. We got about 20 centimeters of powder on Dec. 30 and I skied with my helmet camera all day. On the technical side, I filmed in 720p 60fps (almost all of the video is slowed down to 50%) and used Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5 for editing. The music was provided free by the Weeknd.”

Have a video that you’d like to enter? Just upload it to YouTube, Vimeo and the like, then send us the URL at swanygloves@gmail.com. That’s all there is to it! Complete rules here.

Take a look at last season’s winners in the  Swany Outdoor Adventure Video Contest winners, which ranged from the aerial acrobatics of Bobby Brown to out-of-control sledding to daring mountain rescues.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Cuche Control: Swiss star sets record with 5th Hahnenkamm win; Vonn just misses GS podium

Didier Cuche celebrates his record-setting fifth win at the famed Hahnenkamm.

UPDATE: Michaela Kirchgasser of Austria took advantage of mistakes by the favorites on Sunday (Jan. 22) to claim a win a World Cup slalom race in Slovenia. Lindsey Vonn, not normally a threat in slalom, finished a strong seventh to pad her lead in the overall World Cup race. See what happened to pre-race favorites Tina Maze and Maria Hoefl-Riesch in this story.

Jan. 21: Didier Cuche might have announced this will be his last season on the World Cup circuit, but the the Swiss superstar proved Saturday (Jan. 21) that he’s far from finished.

Cuche won the famed Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbuehel, Austria, for the fifth time to surpass the previous record held by the legendary Austrian downhiller Franz Klammer. American Bode Miller, looking to win the one downhill that has eluded him through the years, nearly crashed at the bottom of the course and wound up 29th.

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Local favorite Tina Maze was an unexpected fifth, opening the door for others to claim the top spot in a slalom on Saturday (Jan. 21) in Slovenia. Amongthose taking advantage was American Lindsey Vonn, who survived a near crash to finish fourth and further grow her overall points lead. Learn more and see who won the race.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.

It’s gotta be the … underwear? World Cup officials taking a peek at skiers’ base layers

Photo from Tina Maze’s fan page.

UPDATE: See what Tina Maze has been accomplishing (including making some personal history) during the 2012-13 season. Read more.

Talk about getting to the bottom of things.

Controversy has been bubbling on the World Cup ski circuit over Tina Maze’s underwear. Actually, it’s not THAT kind of underwear, but rather the base layer the Slovenian slalom star has worn in recent races.

The issue has gone so far that it’s generated a complaint from the Swiss ski federation because it suggests the base layer makes her less wind resistant than her competitors, an edge that might well matter in races determined by hundredths of seconds.

For her part, last weekend Maze stripped down (some, not all) after a recent race to reval a jogging bra with the message “Not Your Business” written on it. Read what the Washington Post has written about the controversy, then listen to additional reporting from NPR.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.

 

Didier Cuche surprise: ‘This is the right moment to retire”

Never mind that Didier Cuche could win a record-equaling fifth World Cup downhill title this season. The  Swiss ski star says he’s had enough.

The surprising decision by the 37-year-old came Thursday (Jan. 19) in Kitzbuehel, Austria, at a news conference prior to Saturday’s classic Hahnenkamm Downhill. Read more.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.

Ski ’em, Cowboys! Steamboat hosts thrills and spills for rodeo stars at Cowboy Downhill

Best ski event of the year? Even with the famous Hahnenkanm downhill looming, it’s not on the World Cup Tour.

It’s the Cowboy Downhill at Steamboat, which saw its 38th edition storm down the hill on Tuesday (Jan. 17). As always, skiing carnage and hilarity ensued.

Visit the Steamboat Pilot for a photo slideshow and a video of the madness.

Swany Gloves is dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, enter our Outdoor Adventures Video Contest.