World Cup Update: Tina Maze leads women, Aksel Lund Svindal atop men’s race as we enter 2013

Tina Maze

Now that it’s almost 2013 it’s a good time to update the races for the overall crown in Men’s and Women’s World Cup Alpine Skiing.

Ladies first. That means Tina Maze, who raced to the top of the standings with several early GS wins and continues to pile on the points. As of Dec. 31, the Slovenian leads the race for the overall title with 1,059 points, a whopping 427 points ahead of Maria Hoefl-Riesch (Kathrin Zettel stands third).

Can defending champ Lindsey Vonn, now taking a health break, make a comeback from 645 points back? Only time and racing will tell. Fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin is fourth overall in the Slalom standings.  Here’s where to find the latest standings in the overall race as well as each discipline.

On the men’s side, Aksel Lund Svindal’s fast start has the Norwegian in first with 674, but the race is much closer after that. Austrian Marcel Hirscher has 560 points and American Ted Ligety’s impressive GS skiing has him third (537). Here’s where the find the latest standings in the overall race as well as each discipline.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Fenninger wins World Cup Giant Slalom, Maze second; American Mikaela Shiffrin finishes eighth

UPDATE, Dec. 28: Austrian Anna Fenninger ran away from the field on Friday for a big win in a World Cup Giant Slalom in Semmering. She was followed by overall leader Tina Maze and Tessa Worley. American Mikaela Shiffrin stayed on a roll, earning eight, her best finish ever in GS. Read the story.

Dec. 27: Can Mikaela Shiffrin make it two in a row? The youngster from Colorado recently became the youngest American to win a World Cup slalom since 1968. This weekend she can extend the streak with a Giant Slalom on Friday (Dec. 27) and Slalom (Dec. 28) in Semmering, Austria.

Without doubt, overall leader Tina Maze will be favored in the GS, but Shiffrin turned in the best second run of everyone the last time the women raced GS. Read this Q&A with Shiffrin.

Here’s where to find the start list and (later) results for the races. Here’s where the find the latest standings in the overall race.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Enter our Outdoor Adventure Video Contest to win Swany’s gCell, the glove that’s a phone

The Fourth Annual Outdoor Adventures Video Contest sponsored by Swany Gloves is on!

It’s easy to enter and win some of our fantastic gloves, including our one-of-a-kind gCell, the glove that’s a phone. Here’s what you need to do.

• Make an outdoor adventure video: It could be a ski or snowboard trick, a visit to the backcounty for Telemark skiing or sledding, even a snowball fight. We don’t need an epic: 1 minute is just fine. Have you already made a video? Enter that. Want the inside track? The judges give extra credit for including Swany Gloves.
• Upload your video: Any public site on the web is fine. YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
• Enter: E-mail the URL of your video to swanygloves@gmail.com. In the “Subject” line, write “Video Contest.” In the body of the e-mail include your name, home town, age and a sentence describing where the video was shot.
• Winners’ notification: Swany will select the winners and notify them via the e-mail address used to enter your video.
• Prizes: Weekly winners will be awarded one pair of Swany gloves or mittens. The Grand Prize winner gets a pair of gCell Gloves. In addition, we’ll highlight your video on our blog for the whole world to see.
• Who’s eligible: Everyone. Unless you work for Swany America.

What’s a winning entry look like? Go ahead and look at winning videos from last year to get an idea of what to do. And then ENTER TODAY!!!!

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Remarkable report tells the story of fateful avalanche in Washington that killed three

Elyse Saugstad survived the avalanche.

Last February’s fatal avalanche in Washington’s Cascades at Tunnel Creek behind Stevens Creek Ski Resort claimed three lives and focused national attention on backcountry safety. The New York Times has just published a remarkable re-telling of the day in Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek.

This compelling, multi-part story blends traditional narrative seamlessly with streaming images that show topographic maps of where the avalanche happened, interactive graphics that illustrate what made the snow slide and how the air bag deployed that may have saved the life of skier Elyse Saugstad. There’s even a weather map showing the movement of the storm that created the unstable snow.

And after all that, there’s a video documentary in the words of the survivors. It’s an exhaustively reported, respectful story of the tragedy. For those who want to learn more about this fateful day and backcountry skiing in general, it’s a tremendous effort that brings you right into the events of that day.  Read it now.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

American Mikaela Shiffrin records historic first World Cup victory with Slalom win in Sweden

Mikaela Shiffrin

Mikaela Shiffrin made a little history when she won a World Cup Slalom on Thursday (Dec. 20) in Are, Sweden.

The 17-year-old from the Eagle-Vail area of Colorado became the youngest American to win a World Cup slalom since Kiki Cutter in 1968. And Shiffrin did it in the face of serious pressure, nipping overall leader Tina Maze and leaving Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter, who led after the first round, in third. Read more and check out this Q&A she conducted via teleconference after the victory.

Maze, wh0 won earlier this week in a Giant Slalom at Are, added more points toward the overall leads ahead of second-place Maria Hoefl-Riesch and Lindsey Vonn, currently taking a break from the tour to rebuild her strength, lost ground as well.

Here’s where to find the latest standings.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Tina Maze adds to World Cup overall lead with third-place finish in Giant Slalom

Tina Maze can’t win ’em all, but she still managed to finish third in a World Cup Giant Slalom on Wednesday (Dec. 19) in Are, Sweden.

After five GS wins for overall leader Maze, this race belonged to winner Viktoria Rebensburg, followed by Austria’s Anna Fenninger. American Julia Mancuso used a strong second run to earn 14th. Read more.

Even without the win, Maze added 60 more points toward the overall and leads second place Maria Hoefl-Riesch by a whopping 351 points. Lindsey Vonn, currently taking a break from the tour to rebuild her strength, lost ground as well.

Here’s where to find the latest standings.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

USA Pro Challenge bike race in Colorado announces 2013 route Aug. 19-25

Boulder, Colorado Springs and Durango are out, Longmont and Fort Collins are in for the 2013 Pro Cycling Challenge, set for Aug. 19-25.

One thing has returned for the event’s third year: the iconic time trial in Vail. As it has the first two years, the race ends in Denver. Past champions have been: 2011, Levi Leipheimer; 2012, Christian VandeVelde.

Check out the routes and hear what organizers had to say at the rollout today (Dec. 19) in Aspen. Read more.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Hard work helped Swany Gloves-sponsored Brita Sigourney jump back into competition with Ski SuperPipe win at Dew Tour in Breckenridge

Brita Sigourney flying to victory at Dew Tour in Breckenridge (Alli Sports)

It’s not as if Brita Sigourney was a novice entering the recent Winter Dew Tour. After all, the skier had multiple podiums over the past two years in Dew Tour and X Games.

Then again, she was hardly a favorite, since the Breckenridge event was Brita’s first competition after tearing an ACL and undergoing months of rehab. On second thought, maybe that recovery process was an advantage for the U.S. Freeskiing team member, sponsored by Swany Gloves at Dew Tour.

“Because of all the rehab, I feel strong,” Brita said. “And people are saying I look really strong out there.”

Brita rocks some Toast 3N1 mitts from Swany Gloves at the Dew Tour

That’s an understatement. The athlete won her semifinal heat in Women’s Ski Superpipe and then scorched the field in the Dec. 14 finals with a first run so strong that Brita was able to enjoy a pressure-free “victory” run the second time down the pipe.

Brita explained that how she injured the knee contributed, in its own way, to her successful comeback. “It wasn’t that hard mentally to return because I didn’t (injure myself) in the pipe, I did it freeskiing. So there really wasn’t an issue mentally getting back into the pipe.”

The California-born skier noted that she works hard not to enter events with out-sized expectations, anyway.  “I try not to put pressure on myself going into a competition. And here, I just wanted to start getting back to where I was before my injury.”

Mission accomplished.

The victory will certainly raise Brita’s profile going into the U.S. Grand Prix Jan. 9-12 in Copper Mountain and Winter X Games Jan. 24-27 in Aspen.  While Brita acknowledged the added attention coming her way, she is focused on a more distant goal: the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where ski pipe will be included for the first time.

“The qualifying events are next year,” Brita said, when asked how much pressure she will feel at the upcoming events. “So the main goal for all of us (on U.S. Freeskiing) is to stay healthy this season“

That’s easier said than done: 11 of 22 team members had knee injuries last season. Brita, 22, has endured four operations already in her career. In addition to her ACL, she’s suffered a broken collarbone, shattered knee and a broken pelvis.

That’s the hard reality of extreme sports. But it also generates camaraderie among the competitors, since they all face the same challenge. One example of that is a tradition that those who top the podium must spend 10% of the winnings (That’s $25,000 at Dew Tour) taking the other competitors to dinner. So Brita took everyone out for sushi.

“It wasn’t too bad because Maddie Bowman (who came in second) helped out some with the check. But it was definitely the most I’ve ever paid for a dinner!”

Learn more about Brita at U.S. Freeskiing and follow her on Twitter @britasig

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Shaun White gets his hair cut for Locks of Love

Shaun White got his hair cut. Really.

In the barber chair.

Watch the famously red locks get sheared in this video. And it’s for a good cause, Locks of Love.

Swany Gloves makes the best gloves and mittens for skiing and snowboarding. We’re also dedicated to bringing you the best of outdoor adventure. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter..

Lindsey Vonn taking a leave from World Cup to build strength after early-season intestinal illness

Lindsey Vonn needs to heal, so she’s taking a health break in the middle of the World Cup ski season. The word is she won’t return until January.

The decision follows a weekend of disappointing results, including a fall on Friday during a Downhill, her specialty, and another fall in the opening run of a giant slalom on Sunday. Vonn has had good results this season, including a sweep of three races in Lake Louise.

However, she has struggled with fitness since falling ill and spending two nights in a Vail hospital during November after suffering from severe intestinal pain. Just last week, in a World Cup Diary she writes for the Denver Post, Vonn confessed that she was struggling to regain her strength.

“After talking with my family and consulting with my coaches and trainers, I have decided to take a break from the World Cup circuit,” Vonn wrote on her Facebook page. “Since my intestinal infection, I have been struggling with my energy and strength. I believe that some time off the mountain will help me regain the physical strength that I require.”

There’s also a tactical reason to take a break. The upcoming races