The North West coast of USObama and British Colombia have had a good start of the season, with record November snowfalls and early openings in many places. I got on a plane with Mikael Pilstrand to get a piece of it and before we knew it we were eatin fat pancakes, driving a big gazoline addicted Chevy and headed way into the mountains of interior British Colombia, Canada.
Iceland Air, the best way to go. Scandinavia-West Coast USA before you even get tired of watching movies and drinking beer.
But 450 kr for a Croissant just feels real strange when you are a Scandinavian...
Then 12.95 dollars for breakfast seems a little bit better even though you can never finish the plate when you are Scandinavian.
Pilstrand working on it the starter. He could finish the coffee cup a couple of times though.
And once on the ground a big ass Chevy is the way to go. Maybe not the right moral choice in theese global warming times but when in Rome, do like the little Italian people, when in US drive a big fat car like the big fa.. American people.
And head into the mountains to search for some snow.
Feels like Hemsedal has already had a full season even before it´s started in many other places. I've already had better ski-days there this pre-season than I´ve ever had there before. If it finished now it would probably not have been the worst season ever there... But it just looks like it is continuing and getting better. Marry Christmas and a happy new year will be spent there.
Kjøttulf Isaksen came straight from surfing El Salvadorsurfing to schredding Hemsedal, skipping authum is the way to go. Photo: Jallis Lilleheil
Hemsedal local David Underland training for bombdrops from his new buit house.
Enjoying a record early poach of the run that is known as the Anal. (Excuse my language but that is just what it's called. They even wrote it in the local newspaper once, when Evensen had done a little too quick decent of the "S", so I though then it would be ok to write even on the very politically correct bigtrix.com). Anyway, this line is normally never a ridable option so early in the relationsh... no I mean season, and normally always very sketchy, so it's proof that winter 09/10 in Hyggedal is an extraordinary one.
In my efforts to meet the pow season in shape and well prepared, like a professional Swedish ski-model, I am trying out a numer of alternative training methods this year since the gym is a pretty boring place to be. Last out was ice-skating which proved to be a pretty good excercise, at least from the cramps in my lower legs to judge.
Me and my skate-buddy Oddis. Mind the golden skates, olympic champ special limited edition. And my custom made Norrøna speed skating cap prototype.
Hooked up with the dude of the dudes when it comes to ice and speed and tights and stuff, Ådne Søndrål, or Oddis as we dudes on the ice call him, Olympic Champion and world record setter on 1500 meters of this stuff. Got some expert tips that did not make me set any records on that track, but at least got me out of there without any serious injuries brought upon myself nor any others.
Rippin! Free ride ice skating is the shizzles!
Next is hopefully a shitload of cross country ski-skating up in Hemsedal with Skævvern, and some laps at the hill. Then I'll be all set. This season is gonna be full on pretty early this year!
Went to Hemsedal for the pre-opening weekend and kicked off the season with pow up to the..... ancles at least. Expecting to start off the season with piste-cruising on man made surface I was surprised by beeing able to cruise all over the mountain on about 60 cm of snow.
The Hygge factor was definitely present, with all the redular happy pow campin dudes and dudettes of Hemsedal poppin out of their winter hiding. Thanx to Skævvern for the hookup in House of Hygge, to David for the riding, to Tut for smiling, to Camilla for the hot dogs and cakes, not to Jonas Hjelme for the guiding and to Skjalg for the ride back to the Oslo.
It got warmer on Sunday but the snow is still there, meaning Hemsedal has got an excellent snow base already and it's looking good for the rest of the season there. Will be going back for some more cruising and getting in shape before winter kicks off in the rest of the world and it's time to go out there and chase it. Tickets to Japan for example, are already bought. Bring on the pow!
Went to Lofoten for a quick surfout with Nico and Vegard from the Looped crew out of the Tromsø hood. Shitty forecast could not stop the young looped spirits so we boarded the surfcruise wessle with fat smiles despite knowing that the journey would never end with epic surf.
Droppin in on Nico and going for the magic seaweed grab
Takeoffs were all we got as the swell dropped even faster than we'd thought, but still spirits were high and we were happy lopping takeoffs and 2 secconds of fame literarely on the rocks. The fierce crowds of course were as hostile as ever in the bay and we shared the leftovers and worked on some special skills, like reversed duckdiving and magic seaweed doublegrabs to keep a minimum distance between bords and rocks.
Lofoten new local senseless L to the K hooked up with our crew, joined the sightseeing and snapped some shots azz usual, thanx! Not to mention that we ended up crashing in the senseless crib after celebrating Vegard's 18 years of chasing barrels with legally bought and drunk 50's and senseless burito specials. A reason good enough to go to Lofoten no matter what forecast. Through hotdog party at Narvesen on top of that and you've got the #1 hygge destination in the world.
Went to the Dolomites in February last season and had some of the best skiing ever, until we just had to get out of there before everything closed and the mid-station even got blown out by an avalanche. Here is what I blogged then: cushinos and cappuccinos.
Had an awesome weekend up by the deep fjords of north west Norway, riding some of the most scenic and steepest bike-terrain there is, at least what I've seen. The local rippers Veronica, Bjørnar, Helge, Arild and Håvard with friends threw a camp, got nearly 50 stoked big city bikers up there and showed them the best singletracks between peak and fjord.
On top of a peak on the west coast of Norway and only one way to go from there. Down. Fast.This is mountainbiking really close to ski touring with 6 inch suspension like big fat planks that are ready for good times going down. As good as it gets, at least without snow.
VIDEO: The minestry of stash has put together a feel good film that pretty much says all there is to say: MORE SHOTS: Perfect shuttle setup by the locals give you 750 vertical for free.
Veronica and Bjørnar takin a break on the long way down from mefjellet at 1100 meters above barbeque-and-beer-level.
Bjørnar whippin some tail for the cameras; fjords in the background, fiddlers in bunad playing folk songs on the side, blond cow girls milkin fresh organic strawberry milkshakes straight outa freeridin eco mountain cows and smilin' german campers throwin smuggled bratwurst and beer parties for the bikers, and snow coverd mountain peaks and glaciers hangin above the fjord and total bluebird and giant blueberries all over the place and singletracks paved with nothin but golden brown dirt. Just another ordinary day of ridin at the North West Shore of Norwegian mountainbiking, no wonder I get carried away...
Whæææææææææm! Bruuuuuhhm!
Ground zero, bbq, fjord, campin and beer equals good times.
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.
