Salt Lake City finally received our first real winter storm, so to celebrate we have been feverishly watching ski movie trailers and avalanche safety videos in between tuning and waxing our skis for that first pre dawn backcountry run. While perusing YouTube, Vimeo, and every ski magazine website we can find, we’ve unearthed quite a few gems of unadulterated ski porn. Enjoy.
Eclipse
In the world of professional skiing, it is all about getting that perfect photo. From Alaskan steeps to pillowy powder in Japan, every magazine shot or short edit you’ve ever seen takes hours of painstaking planning and set up. Nowhere is that more evident than Salomon’s latest Freeski TV episode, Eclipse. What happens when you mix six world class skiers, one visionary photographer, and a three week mission into the most inhospitable environment on the planet? Quite simply, this is one of the most beautifully shot adventure films we’ve ever seen, and all to potentially get one, lasting image of a skier during a once in a lifetime celestial event. If you watch one ski movie all year, make it this one.
Know Before You Go
Behind every good powder day is a veritable army of ski patrollers, avalanche forecasters, and other snow safety professionals. If you’re ready to venture out on your own in the backcountry, it’s probably time to learn some of those skills for yourself. The Know Before You Go series from the Utah Avalanche Center won’t make you an expert in snow safety, but it will get you thinking about making conservative choices. It doesn’t hurt that the visuals of pros ripping pow and talking about staying safe are stunning.
Commit – Inspired Design
Everything Arc’teryx builds for wet, snowy weather is tested to the limits before it is promounced ready for the consumer, and then tested again. Their commitment to perfection transcends simple quality control. This behind the scenes look at what R&D expert Mike Blenkarn goes through when designing a GORE jacket for skiing and mountain travel is a window into the passion behind each piece of apparel. If anything, it reaffirmed our love for the gear that takes us into the unknown.
