Monday, January 24, 2011

Utah's got a bad reputation...

Let me try to sort out the last three days into something coherent.

ORshow
The Outdoor Retailer Show was in full force at the convention center. We spent a couple days hanging out with our new friends at Mountain Khaki, a killer outdoor clothing company. We even played a happy hour set right on the convention floor. There was some crazy stuff going on out there, like this:


there was literally thousands of cool products, but the only one I really cared about was the new split board from K2:


It ain't pretty, but if it rides anything like my K2's...

Toubab at State Room
Two nights with one of our favorite bands, Toubab Krewe, at the State Room. Both nights featured some really sweet sit-ins at the end of the show, Saturday Dave and I rocked Double Bass' which usually sucks but ended up being completely badass. Dave is my favorite and his rhythm and hair are inspiring.



Epic day at Brighton
Last time I was at Brighton, I completely fucked up and crushed my leg. I've been patiently waiting for a chance to redeem myself and the snow was flying all day Saturday, so during the show that night I called out for a ticket. After the show a nice gal came up to the stage and gave me a ticket, and 5 minutes later I'd rented a car and solidified a plan to shred Brighton. In bed at 3:15, 6:15 wake-up call and by 9:15 I was on the lift with my bro Zingg. One of the best days of my life. We slipped over the backside, out of bounds and I took 20 of the best turns of my life.


If you look closely, you can see, in the center of the photo, Casey ripping right beneath the big rock.  The turns coming down the gut, those were the best I've ever had.  Zoom in, take a look and imagine how that must have felt...  this line required a several hundred foot hike out but was absolutely worth every bit of effort.  I went back later in the day and rode the still untouched spine beneath the cliff band on the left...  I get a semi just thinking about it. Brighton is now at or near the top of my resort list. So much great terrain, so many good features, best snow in Utah and a laid-back, old-school vibe you won't find at Snowbird or Solitude. Did I mention it was a bluebird day? Or that a strange couple in a Hummer hooked me up with one of these in exchange for some beginner snowboard advice?


Utah's got a bad rap, partially deserved, but unfair none-the-less. The Wasatch are some of the most incredible mountains I've ever been amongst, the snow was the best I've ridden, the people at the shows were awesome and we managed to get some good beer (not just Steel Reserve).

In Cyclocross news, Knoxiecross this weekend. Looks like I'm headed out there Saturday with Jeremy. Hoogerheide World Cup this weekend. Here's the last two laps:

1 comment:

Unknown said...

this post is a little R rated, and thats why i like it. Utah brings out the naughty in all of us, its all the damn rules they have. Im glad you had a nice day in the Wasatch, we miss that place.