Have been a real bad blogger this fall. I probably won't get any presents from blog-Santa... Gonna take it back when the shit hits the fan. The pow hits my face that is. That is after all what bigtrix.com is primarely about: the deep snow.
Warming up here with a copuple digital exposures of some stuff I've had published in print this fall. First of all just got a cover on last issue of Swedish ski mag Brant:
Also published a big guide to the goods in the Pacific North West (America) in Norwegian #1 action sport mag FriFlyt:
Here is even a little video clip from Revelstoke on that PNW trip I did with photographer Mikael Pilstrand. As you can see, quite good for December...:
Been an awesome summer with bascap in H-bay, Stad @the west cape of Norway. Obviously I've been keeping a low blogging profile... don't wanna have too much computer time when the sun is shining. And especially not when there is waves...
Don't wanna sit inside when it's like that out....
Must say it's been a good summer wave wise at Stad this year. At least the start of it was even better than this winter, from what those who had been there through the cold months. Never very big but decent surf pretty much every week in June July.
Mostly it was longboard days of course, but many real nice ones, like this mid summer evening with just me and Harrold Barreld in the water:
Lots of fishing and stuff in between the sessions of course. And hangin out with the kids. And when it was flat; tarpsurfing of course:
Back on the road after beeing stuck in Stuckholm for a couple of months, since the last adventure up nort in Norway. Made it to the right side of the SWE/NOR border and headed to Styn for some summer skiing and hygge at Graf.
Good to be moving again and awesome to get a taste of snow, especially when it was fresh since it snowed the night before we arrived. Conditions were better than rumour has it this year, and the backside was still skiable so I enjoyed some runs with one of the local dahu farmers in the valley, Johan, and his gardsgut Henke.
Enjoyed another couple of first class overnights at the Graf house, with the complimentary hygge-loaded collective BBQ dinners, shared with among others the polish ski pushing heli owner Praxchekc and the Brezcxinjiswskyj pack while Max Hygge enjoyed the company of the Wemby-sisters. Fantastic.
Sun, chicks and BBQ in the valley.
Lykke chillin between the mountains.
Dahu farming.
Thanks to Johan and the rest around Graf. Check the Alpine Legends blog, for more hygge from Stryn.
Now: Hoddevik, Stad is up for some surf and more hygge.
Up north is the place to be when winter is coming to and end. After the good times in Lofoten my family came up north to meet me and we went inland to the Tamok hood and hooked up with my the grand old folks to spend some traditional Norwegian easter hygge times cabin style.
Fiching on the ice, cruising cros country with Hygge in the pulk, quicklunch-chocolate and oranges in the backpack, coffee on the thermos and hot dogs for BBQing is the way to go. Add some bluebird and it's picture perfect.
Sledding....
Max Hygge scoping pillow lines with papa and grandpa.
Heading to the hygge zone.
In the Zone with mama and grandma.
Quite coincidential Jarkko the wannabee Tamok-same from Finland was in the same hood again this year, taking his Arctix concept to another level, with the open heli powered Treeride World Championships as well as his invitatinal heli sessions. I got in on the treeride, as Howia and JM aka monkeyboy were heading out there early, called me up in the morning and said they had put me on the starting list. I came in seccond after beeing fastest on in the speed part but then not that smooth in the freeride part, where the conditions were a bit icy after it was getting a bit to late and the sun went down before I got to ride. Good fun anyway, and I got to join the heli session, at least for one day, since I did not want to miss too much Max Hygge time with the fam.
Ended up on the team with a couple of other Norwegian dirty bums that have been in the game for a while, Myking and Bryn. Stoke was definitely present and smiles were wide, Mykings maybe widest of all on his 2nd heli mission ever. Got to ski some good stuff, some steep and long stuff and some cruising, but there was no pow left when we got started, since it got warm to days before the heli arrived, unfortunately and a bit typical...
The Norwegian delegates, me, Sofish and Bryn
Sven does some nice heli parking this is on a ridge as wide as the skids.
... on top of this stuff. That is pretty steep, and way higher than it looks.
Mr Bryn is enjoying the last cruising run of the day. Sven Cruising in the background.
As long as the weather is cooperating, north of the moral circle is the place to be. Then northern norway it is the most beutiful and best location in the whole world, for skiing, surfing, hygge and more. For almost thee weeks now, that has my reality.
Welcome to Lofoten!
Started off by flying into the Lofoten Islands at the end of a snowstorm as it was clearing and then stayed cold, sunny and calm for more than a week. Camp Lofoten was on, which is a Norrøna supported back country ski, surf and hygge event run by the wannabee sjøsame Freddy Gelly and backed up by the good times and good weather god of Manitu. It's accompagnied by good food and lodging at the Henningsvær Bryggehotell and a great crew of ugly stinkin mountain guides and blonde norwegian back country babes.
Sverre and Lars-Kristian on the ridge at Blåtind.
Photographer Sverre Hjørnevik hooked up azz usual as well as half local, half fisherman/half law student poser Håvard Ånesen with his snowboard and surfboard. As the mountains were stashed with pow and there was even some decent swells coming in we could not have anything but the best of times, again, in Lofoten. Add some sauna, hard core mølje eating, fernet and beers and you should be able to understand that sleeping could not be given the highest priority.
Some multisport bouldering and snowboarding action by the fjord.
We decided to steer away from the classic ski touring peaks this time, in order not to repeat ourselves every year, get to see some new terrain, mark off some new names on the map and maybe find some brand new epicness. This went both ways, as the classics are classics for a reason of course; they often have good snow and good efficient terrain for both the going up and going down. Wi did get a taste of some really cool new stuff, got some good shots and new epic views, but at the same time we rode a lot of shitty snow and fooled around a lot when we could have been cruisng more pow instead.
We topped out Blåtind, Håtind and Stornapptind, neither of which I have been to before and who are all clearly are stand-out mountains in their area. And in between we had some decent surf at Unstad. Finally, after a late night at the climbing cafe, me and Håvard scored an awesome couloir right around the corner from home base in Henningsvær. I had been looking at the think every time I'd passed on the way by and went op into the start of the neighbour coloir to check the snow, concluding that it could not be a better time to ski this narrow and steep thing. One of the nicest chute-rides I've ever gotten I think. Good snow, good view, good width, good steepness etc. = good times. Check the video:
Here is another little edit from the trip up to Borga. After a full day shooting with Mattias in the trees of Borga ski centre BC we had a fun ride down in the cool terrain where the locals have cleared a bit in the woods and built kickers with the trees to make the tarrain more skiable and definitely fun:
The weather moved into the Borga Mountains and shut the heli down, but no tears were seen in our eyes. A layer of fresh softened things up, Magnus at www.69gradernord.se fired up the cat and we got some skiing in the trees that was way better than expected.
No stopping the cat.
The little hill at Borgafjäll has got a whole lot more good riding on the offer than what was expected. The trees host good snow and have some nice zones with enough space between them to get through with a pair of planks and in some places they've even cut down the trees and used them to build kickers, and wooden cliffs to create even better freeride terrain. Here is a little helmet cam clip from going down after taking the last shot of the day up in Borgafjäll BC:
Tight but good :)
JP setting up for an epic Borga BC pow shot.
been there, done that.
Magnus getting some ungoggled faceshots.
Even coming in for a Japan-air hand-drag...
and poppin another pillow before hitting the spa again.
Headed back north after ripping the childrens slope with Max Hygge in Engelberg for a week, and went straight up to Borgafjäll in the cold north interior Sweden. Minus 35 degrees celsius in the morning is heavvy shit.... but sun came out and warmet it up at least a little bit, and when the helicopter cruised in we got warm, at least in our choppe loving hearts.
Max Hygge with full on alp setup.
Max Hygge ripping Klostermatte, Engelberg, CH.
Bjørn Thomas getting the most out of a thin layer of fresh.
When done shooting some one turn wonders with Endre the not so hike-loving and definitely not stressed Løvsteik it was family week in Switzerland, with hard core kids runs with Max, lots of chill coffe-time at Dani's and just enjoying the fresh alp air. Max Hygge is ripping unsupported no now so he is ready to drop into the backcountry soon I think.
Then up to Sweden and straight up to remote Borgafjäll up in the Swedish wilderness where they happened to set a new negative temperature record just as we were arriving.... perfect... Anyway we're having good fun, flying heli, getting some cool stuff done on skis and enjoying the comfort of Hotell Borgafjäll. It is cold but at least the sun is out and it is rediculously beatiful even though the snow is not exactly champagne pow pow... I think it never is up here.
Ready to drop in.
Magnus Tveito and Even Sigstad planning to make some stuff happen in front of the cameras.
Even throwing a 180 off the Hotell roof before heading towards the Spa for a little post bombdrop treatment.
ISPO was as usual: Bratwurst, beers and good people. Afterskiing at the Norrøna booth, with Norrøna Mag release, slideshows and stuff, meetings with old and new friends from the industry and Kiss Forever concert at the K2 stage.
Then headed back to Switzerland to schred some days before receiving the family and going full on into hyggemode in Engelberg. Of course it was snowing upon my arrival and Bjørn Thomas and Bård were ready to ride after not a not very prosperous trip to Engadin. We got about 20 cm average around the mtn I would say and it was good times even though the stuff underneath could be felt in many places… as both ice and in worst case rocks.
Welcome back to CH
Soft bumps in the woods of Brunni
Endre Løvsteik came down with his cam and we did some comfort shooting with him. One, two or three laps a day that is, with lots of food and beer in between. Exactly the way Engelberg should be done, if you ask someone who knows what they talk about, Johan for example, or Freddy F aka Da Director.
Steika and Bjørni stressing to get the shots.
Bjørni checking the depth
Bård heading towards another three-turn-wonder in good light on top.
Massive surroundings in Galtiberg
Max Hygge has arrived. It'll be all about ripping the kids hill the rest of the week.
It was goot to get back to the family after the Japan adventure, even though we could definitively enjoyed a couple more weeks in "the land of the rising sun and strange stuff for breakfast".
Max Hygge helpin daddy switch fromthe Japan pow planks to the Europe hardpack tools.
Got a nija setup for Max before leaving J-pan and went for a size 3 years since he is 2 but likes it baggy. Not too clever though, as a Japanese kid size 3 is about a 0,9 Scandi... He digs it anyway, and it goes well with the goggles that he is wearing a lot now, getting ready for a week in the alps.
I also had to stay in shape and its been dumping hard in Stockholm so I've been hitting up the hard core backcountry of local trash hill Hammarby Mountain, on a longboard together with Mats the Swedish Punk. Awesome. Stockholm rocks! (Not. But is better when it snows at least.)
There it is. The urban big mtn.
The Swedish Punk, ready to rip.
Now, flew down to the alps to get a couple days of skiing in before hitting ISPO with Norrøna and then getting a week in Engelberg with the family. Awesome. Will be back with some swiss pow.
www.bigtrix.com is an outdoor sport and hygge blog by Torkel Karoliussen. Spontaniously updated with new stories, pictures and videos from pow, surf and good times around the world.
