Cat Skiing and fresh pow in Borga

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.


-Torky

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Chill temperatures and good times in Borgafjäll

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.

-Torkel

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Max Hygge in Engelberg

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.

-Torkel


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Japan aftermath: Stocholm BC and heading for the Alps

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.


Engelberg, CH, good to be back.


Norrøna at ISPO. Drop by, I'll be in the bar.


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Japan wrap up: one of of the very best trips

Just got back to Scandalavia after a trip that will go into my list of about 20 best ever. The deep pow, the food, the cool people we got to hang out with, the onsens and finally the awesome terrain in th Japan-Alps made it an awesome experience.


Slashing a turn in the land of bluebird, pow and the risen sun.

Due to wanting to spend more time in front of the sushi and a bit less in front of the coumputer I have not been completely up to date with the bigtrix updates on this trip, but have also posted at a couple of other sites:


Cat skiing Super Mario Pillow Mini Golf Land 4 in Noregian at friflyt.no


Confirming that skiing in Japan is awesome at k2skis.com

And finally, finishing off the trip in the Japanese Alps, getting into a little shallower snow but a lot bigger and steeper terrain. Staying with Tony and the other good mates at the White Horse, beeing picked up by Clint on our awesome slackcountry laps off the side of the resort and guided to some good off mtn time too (talk to Håvard for more about just that).


Clint, and Chie and Happy-Happo-Howie after a good day.

See more J-alps shots at the norrona.com blog.

Thanx to Jens, Håvard, Nick, Yuki, Maaya, Tomoko, Tony, Clint and many more for an awesome trip! Look for the story in Norrøna Mag, next fall.

Next up is Switzerland, after ripping some more pow with the Swdish Punk in Stocholm:


/ T-san

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