The idea for Moment Skis was, as most good ideas are, born over a pitcher of beer between friends. It’s a rider based company that thrives off of the love of skiing. Moment believes a ski should be more easily controlled thus making for a more enjoyable ski to ride. Using all the best materials, engineer’s knowledge, and rider feedback, Moment produces innovative skis that are rock solid. Moment is continually asking for consumer feedback as well so they can improve on current skis or create new models as needed.

Skis range from true twin(symmetrical sidecut) park skis, to all-mountain slayers, to reverse camber monster pow rippers. Take the Reno Rocker for example, a true twin built for both the park and back country. With dimensions coming in at 117-90-117, this is a ski that can be used anywhere your mind can imagine. Other skis include the Tahoe, at 127-96-118 it’s an all-mountain ripper. The monster Comi is a pow killer at 160-136-145. They offer also ski designs that are completely unique to Moment, like the Comi-Kazi which has the same dimensions at the Comi but also has a swallow tail for added emphasis in the powder.

Moment is a company that produces products that encourage creativity in your riding and gives you the option for something unique and different. Moment delivers with fair prices, quality skis, and designs & concepts that are all their own. Being a rider based company, you know you’re getting something that has been made well and has pride in the craftsmanship.

moment skis

Well the next big comp in skiing has come to a conclusion. The first annual North American Open is over, but not before there was some insane park and pipe skiing laid down in the process.

The finals started on Saturday and things got going quick. Riders threw down right from the beginning in hopes of wining over the judges hearts. Everything from right and left side spins, switch double fronts, double rodeos, switch double rodeos and double corks where stomped in the mayhem. There were a ton of skiers going off all day and it was echoed through the athletes that this was the best open they have ever particpated in.

The all-around vibe was great and all the athletes seemed to share the same enthusiasm for the level of skiing displayed pushed by both the jumps and format. Saturday ended with Jacob Wester(gold), Jon Olsson(silver) and Tanner Rainville(bronze) standing atop the podium.

Jacob’s run consisted of a left 9(unnatural for Jacob), switch right 9 and a double cork 1260. Jon styled his way onto the podium with a fluid run throwing a switch ten to switch misty nine and finished it out with his signature Kangaroo Flip. Tanner was a constant force all day stomping a switch 7 to switch 9 double grab to a cork 9 holding the grab throughout the whole spin.

All-in-all, the slopestyle showed the highest level of park skiing ever seen in a competition. The pipe was no different story either. Simon Dumont was boosting all day and took home the gold. He was followed by Dan Marion and Matt Duhamel. All sorts of spins were thrown through out the day including both right and left side 9’s, switch 7’s and 10’s and of course 1260’s.

Lets not forget the ladies either, they held their own both days with a few of them spinning 720’s, both switch and unnatural. How is that for the girls? Talk about progression.

This comp has really set the bar for opens and both Jon Olsson and Simon Dumont are planning a bigger and better event for next year. Stay tuned for the NAO 2009!

For many of us, the snow is a way of life. We live for the adrenaline, for sticking that one trick, for riding away from that 45 foot drop, or just cruising the mountain with our friends. There is nothing else like it in the world. No other addiction is quite the same as snow. We are willing to put it all on the line for one thing alone, the rush of sliding down a frozen mountain on our board(s) of choice. In the last ten years, skiing and snowboarding have progressed in ways many thought impossible and with that progression comes an increased element of risk. Death and injury have become an accepted part of the game. It’s a side that not many like to talk or think about but it’s real and it’s ever present.

In order to appreciate what we love, we should be well informed of the risks involved. Death and injury and more common than we would like to admit. Each year, an average of 34 skiers and snowboarders die while participating in their sport. Billy Poole, a professional skier died Jan 22 this year after crashing off a massive cliff and tumbling over a series of rocks. Marc Andre-Bellevue was paralyzed after a ski accident when he also collided with rocks after a cliff drop.

As snow sports continue to grow and progress, injury and death are sure to increase. That is just one of the prices we pay for pushing the limits of human possibilities. Life in snow sports would never be the same without the adrenaline, risk, and progression. It’s that feeling we crave and love and the reason we do what we do. Just keep in mind what we are here for in the first place, fun.

Dwelling on the risk is not really an option while hoping to progress but remembering risks and those that have passed is a way to keep ourselves in check. It helps us stay in the mind set of pushing the limits only when the conditions are right and not when risk is multiplied by factors beyond our control.

Next time you are out on the mountain push it all you can but remember the risk is what makes it what it is. The risk is part of the life we chose and can take a toll on any rider at anytime. Risk is what helps us appreciate and respect the sport and those that continually push the limits of what is possible on snow.

It’s official, The North American Open is up and running at Breckenridge, Colorado. Jon Olsson has been shoveling for hours everyday to put the finishing touches on the course to perfect the jumps. Pretty impressive when you have someone like Olsson himself out doing all the shoveling, that shows he’s really passionate about putting on a solid comp.

After the first day of competition the first twenty qualifiers will be chosen with two more last chance finalists being selected tomorrow. Founders Jon Olsson and Simon Dumont are personally picking each finalist in hopes of showcasing the best park skiing in the world during the finals Saturday afternoon. All sorts of crazy tricks have been thrown which is helping riders advance to compete against the likes of Jon, Simon, Jacob Wester and Colby West. Kangaroo flips, spins and tech rail sessions are all being laid down in stylish fashion. Look for video coverage on Jon Olsson’s video Blog.

The videos are out from the Red Bull Coldrush and Red Bull is asking the viewers to vote and choose a Viewer’s Choice winner. The Viewer’s Choice winner will receive an extra $1,000 on top of any prize money already awarded at the contest.

Both the videos and voting are available over at Rip.TV.

To recap quickly, each competitor was given three hits on the slopestyle portion which took place on day one. Day two consisted of the touring and big mountain section events. Double flips, spins and huge cliffs were the name of the game ensuring the viewer some exciting coverage, tricks and of course, crashes. So go get involved in the comp by reviewing all the skier’s runs and cast your vote. There is plenty of footage available as it’s three segments, each about fifteen minutes in length.

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rip tv

Travis Rice is a name that really needs no introduction in the world of snowboarding, or action sports for that matter. His new film which is set to release sometime in early fall is bound to follow similar footsteps. That’s it, that’s all, shot in HD from locations round the world to bring you into Travis’ life and the progression he brings to the sport. The two year project is better seen than talked about, so check out the link above to watch the trailer.

These days it seems to be pretty clear that Red Bull is organizing some super sick competitions and events, the Red Bull Playstreets comp is no different. Playstreets is a slopestyle event that takes place right in the heart of the city. The event aims to bring skiing right to the people and it delivered on that goal.

The course is placed in the middle of a street in Bad Gastein, Austria. It was filled with people coming out to enjoy both the competitors stomping tricks and the party atmosphere alike. As the contest got under way it was standing room only and the energy could be felt in the air.

The content is set up so that each competitor had to make his way through the head to head rounds in order to qualify for the match final. The course consisted of four features; a step down, gap jump, hip, and a rail to bring them to the finish corral.

Oscar Scherlin stood out from the others as the day progressed. Scherlin was consistent all day stomping his runs that included a switch nine mute, five forty mute, safety seven, and a solid rail to finish things up. Oscar won bragging rights and the keys to a brand new Suzuki Vitara. For more pictures and video check out Red Bull Playstreets site.

Unique contests like this one are a blast to watch and they are super good for the sport of skiing. They definitely help push it in a positive direction by bringing something fresh to keep the stoke.

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If you still haven’t heard about the new Hunting Yeti project then you need to check it out. Here’s a quick recap for those of you that missed our last post about Hunting Yeti… it’s a ski film project featuring Pep Fujas, Andy Mahre, Eric Pollard and Chris Benchetler. The project will include five free webisodes and a final DVD that will be on sale this fall. The idea behind the project is to bring the audience into the process by showing a different viewpoint on skiing and film making.

The first webisode aired this past Friday and has already been downloaded and watched by thousands of people. It is, in my opinion, one of the best short-ski films ever put together. Hunting Yeti features some awesome big mountain, powder, jumps, lifestyle, night shots and all around fun clips, this movie has something that will stoke any skier. I’m impressed by both the quality of the film and the riding in the flick.

This will be the film project of the year and something that will bring skiers into the season as it happens. It’s nice to finally get some new ski porn to watch mid-season, which is right around the time I usually start jonesing for something fresh. You see, I can only watch those other ski movies that come out every fall a few hundred times each before I start itching for something new.

nimbus independent

The first ever GvR snowboarding event will be held this week in Big Bear, California. It is set to take place during Wide Open #5; a set of slopestyle, rail jams, and other events, will surround the GvR this week setting the mountain up for an insane showcase of snowboarding skills.

The GvR contest isn’t new to surfing and skating but, Etnies will bring it to the snow this year and will be featuring the best riders in the world. Included in the lineup of athletes is Travis Rice, Andy Finch, Eero Ettala, Shaun White, Andreas Wiig and Gigi Ruff to name a few. There is also set to be an open the morning before the main event to decide four amateur riders who will join the pro teams to determine which is better the Goofys or the Regulars. A prize purse of $50,000 is at stake, not to mention the pride of defending your stance. As an extra incentive to get up there and enjoy the events, free products will be given away at random during the contest.

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Last summer I asked if Quiksilver was looking to dump Rossignol, the ski company they purchased for a cool $300 mil back in March ‘05. It’s no secret (as not much is with public companies) that Rossignol has been struggling ever since it became a Quiksilver brand as the first year it went from a profitable company to a money-losing company.

Last week Quiksilver president Bernard Mariette was shown the door and troubled Rossignol was cited as one of the main reasons. Mariette was one of the main architects behind the original Rossignol deal and Quiksilver has speculated that he will likely try to acquire the company from them. I’m sure the shareholders are thrilled with that news. Either way, Quiksilver is definitely looking to get rid of Rossignol.

It’s hard to say at this point whether or not Quiksilver will try to remain in the ski game. I can imagine this has left a pretty sour taste in their mouth. If they do they should definitely purchase a smaller ‘core’ ski company that has the same culture as a surf company like QS.

On a side note: Bernard’s getting quite the severance package…

Bernard will receive $106,726 to serve as a consultant for a year. In addition, he will receive severance pay of $2.8 million.

Quiksilver
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