TR: La Fievre du Printemps (Roc and Ride 10th Anniversary Spring Bash at Mont Alta)
I wanted to get a TR up for this event, my pics don't do it justice but it was the best ski party I've been to since the Pain McShlonkey three years ago.
I didn't have much to go on because I don't speak french, but the graphics said it all:
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...ff&oe=57800956
Furthermore, my buddy Tom from EstSki.ca was organizing a Rambo race and I thought it might be a good time to done the spandex and try out my first fiddling event.
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...21118536_o.jpg
Mont Alta packs a mere 600' of vert, but it packs a punch too. Besides the fact that I took more falls on the skintrack than i did this season skiing, it's an awesome hill and story.
I guess some guys from a local frenchy ski site started a "what if we resurrected Mont Alta thread" a few years ago, a la the Shames co-op initiative and it actually happened.
The lifts, including a single chair that ran top to bottom at some point were all ripped out and now a season pass to skin costs $32CAD. A day "ticket" is $8. There are some decent steeps at the top and the woods are kind of manicured to perfection, similar to Magic's. Maybe not as steep, but just cool little lines.
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...69179237_o.jpg
One thing that MADE the event was the mix of people. Rock & Ride is obviously a quality shop, because they got rad old tele dudes out, an older hippie chick offering free massages in the shipping container that replaced the burned out lodge, and a lot of dudes looking to do dangerous stuff on the hill. Oh yeah, lots of reps, too.
I tried Xalibu Skis (local brand making really cool freeride sticks with local materials), G3, Blizzard, and some other brands, all mounted up with dynafits, ions, vipecs, kingpins, etc. Gratis.
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GEAR REVIEW:
Love the Ion's Vipecs are too fiddly, Radicals are really primitive and crappy in comparison to any of the new stuff.
Xalibu makes bomber skis that I wouldn't mind for alpine, g3 is a nice all-arounder and worth a look if you haven't been on them for awhile, blizzards are the sickter.
Elan was there too with some cool 4d weirdness signed by Sir Plake, but they were too stingy to send over 30 pairs like everyone else. Next year, hopefully.
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I've Seen Black Diamonds! made the long pilgrimage from Brooklyn not expecting much, and the cold temps to start the day had us drinking Adirondack Dirty's to loosen up before the snow did.
(before shit went down)
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...13671071_o.jpg
Soon the rando race happened and ullr, for the first time this season, woke up.
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...99368376_o.jpg
I went into beast mode for the race so there are no shots of that, but like i said i took some whippers to the face, and caused a dominos line of falling skinners on the steeps and took a ski tip to the eye. it was awesome.
other critters got in on the fun
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...48453415_o.jpg
I wish I got a better shot of the canoe coming down, tubers coming down, homemade floats coming down, lots of stuff you didn't want to get hit with but wanted to see explode when it got to the bottom.
This was a huge improvement over the shotski.
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...83557045_o.jpg
Get five of your friends together, choose a base liquor, turn around while every shot gets doctored with weird flavors and then spun. Drink the shot you end up with and be surprised / horrified but the mouthful of tequila and tabasco you just consumed.
Claude, proprieter of the shop / MC / all around awesome dude gives a caesarian length speech in French.
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...56306169_o.jpg
I ask him for a translation, and he says sorry and that there's going to be a chinese downhill with sweet prizes soon. Me and ISBD don't really want to race, so we opt to walk off the shots & beers with a long walk up the windy beginner trail on the side of the hill. Still lots of snow.
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We arrive at the summit to find the race about to begin. They hold up the race because they want to include the new york city guys that drove so far.
Turns out that was a bad move for anyone that wanted to win. I jump to an early lead on the headwall and think it's in the bag, when ISBD passes me on the flat without any hope of the pack catching up.
He gives a brief glance over his shoulder before hitting the jump at the bottom for a huge spread eagle sealing the victory with style points.
The hippie band played on about FREEDOM with their hand drums and acoustic guitars.
Too tired to skin anymore, and getting too hazy to drink anymore, we chilled out for a bit and then packed up.
If it happens again next year, I'm getting an airbnb and a bus up there. Totally worth a weekend and ULLR was obviously pleased.
lastly, these girls are featured on the Mont Alta page, so maybe if you go ski there you can meet them.
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...83&oe=577804E1
if anyone throws up real pix i can steal, i'll update this. such an awesome and unforgettable day.
