Snow Update: January 30th 2011

The trees have once again turned white up here at Stevens Pass and with more sunny weather on the way, we got out this morning to sample the goods. With steadily lowering freezing levels and persistent  precipitation, the upper mountain has filled back in a bit over the last few days, having received a decent amount of fresh on top of an already soft base. Its not super deep out there yet, but today was alot of fun and the snow is definitely rippable!

We went out this morning with Top Phlight's own DJ McCracken to survey the scene. There was a bit of mid-mountain fog and we were initially concerned about potentially poor visibility on the upper mountain. However, as we crested the second rise on Skyline Chair the fog gave way and we took in a clear view of Barrier Bowl and Cowboy Mountain.

After loading 7th Heaven Chair, DJ noted that he was wearing his park skis and would not have his pow skis until tomorrow. Park skis aside, we ended up getting some pretty decent turns in Solitude, as well as some photos proving that there is, indeed, a bit of pow up here at Stevens Pass!

The coming week looks generally pretty cool and sunny, so whatever snow is out there isn't going to go anywhere. We'll definitely be out and about tomorrow exploring a bit more thoroughly.

Check out these photos and give DJ a high-five next time you roll through the Terrain Park!

As seen on RideStevensPass: http://ridestevenspass.com/news/2011/01/30/snow-update-january-30th-2011

Terrain Park Update: January 28th 2011

Everybody wants snow, and it’s easy to get yourself down on the weather, but the truth is that the riding is excellent up here right now! We’ve been very busy in Top Phlight country fabricating new features and building up jumps to bring you the best terrain park in Washington. With warm, sunny weather and forgiving snow conditions, now is the time to come test your skills as our park morphs from "pretty cool" into "straight up savage!"

It really has been great skiing and riding up here the last several days, and with a bit of new snow and more sunshine in the forecast, things are looking stellar right on into next week. We've added a couple of new features, as well as increased the size of the pro-line jumps; Junior's and Junk's are getting BIG! Check out the photos and captions below to familiarize yourself with the new jib features.

 
Junior's Jump and the Highway 2 overpass lurk below as Stevens local shred Matthew Wainhouse shows off his Method while sampling our brand spankin' new pole-jam! The new pole-jam is located at the end of the intermediate line (top right) at the top of the park.

The revamped Skullcandy feature can be hit from either side, head on as a jib or a hip, and a couple other ways as well. Our Terrain Park Crew and a number of local shreds were out sessioning it today. Come on up, check it out and get creative!

Below: Stevens Pass Terrain Park slayer and employee, Marvin Pingera, throws down with a 270 FS blunt on just his second go at the feature. The verdict is in, Marvin kills it!

Dont Forget, the whole mountain is OPEN and we're expecting a bit of SNOW over the next couple of days. Come on up this weekend and and check out these new features and LIVE MUSIC in the Foggy Goggle this Saturday night!

This article was also seen on RideStevensPass: http://ridestevenspass.com/news/2011/01/28/park-update-for-january-27th

Stevens Pass Presents: TGRs Light the Wick in 3D!

The Festhalle in Leavenworth was the place to be Friday night as hundreds of people turned out for a free showing of Teton Gravity Research’s latest Ski Film: Light the Wick. A large portion of this major film production was filmed last spring, on location at Stevens Pass; including the ENTIRE 3D segment!

Prior to the main feature, those in attendance took part in a raffle event with tons of great prizes, including a Ride snowboard, a Stevens’ season pass and a bunch of pretty cool outerwear! At the same time, free product and shwag were tossed into the crowd throughout the venue.

The event also boasted a 21+ area where virtually limitless beverages were served at very affordable prices. All proceeds from the raffle and beverage sales benefited the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club. If you didn’t make it out to the Festhalle for the event, you definitely missed out!

Light the Wick, filmed entirely in HD, is also the first ski or snowboard film project to take a crack at 3D technology. The results were stunning. TGR phenom Sammy Carlson popped up on screen and informed the already avid and stoked out crowd that it was now time to put on their 3D glasses. With a wave of his arms, and a gasp from the crowd, skiing at Stevens Pass morphed into three dimensions for the first time ever! All in attendance were supplied with a pair of complimentary special edition Stevens Pass 3D glasses. This particular screening of the film's 3D portion is particularly noteworthy because it was filmed, in its entirety, here at Stevens Pass!

The 3D ski flick very well may be the "wave of the future," and who else to blaze this new trail than the innovators at TGR. For a full understanding of the 3D process here at Stevens Pass, be sure to check out http://www.tetongravity.com/tgr3d/default.aspx  If you'd like to purchase the film on DVD or BluRay disc, feel free to visit TGR's online store! The film is also available digitally via ITunes!

Everyone in attendance seemed to have a blast! With an epic ski movie (not to mention the FIRST EVER in 3D!), cheap drinks and free stuff all over the place, how could you go wrong?

If you were unlucky enough to miss out this time, make sure you continue to follow us here atwww.ridestevenspass.com or via facebook and twitter to stay up to date on all of our latest events, news and happenings!

As seen on RideStevensPass: http://ridestevenspass.com/news/2011/01/22/stevens-pass-presents-tgrs-light-the-wick-in-3d

This article was also published VIA The Ski Resort News, a Twitter based publication released regularly: http://paper.li/jennrohl/ski-resorts

Checking In @ The Ice Fest Rail Jam in Leavenworth!

Although it ended up being a bit of a sloppy weekend for a festival geared around the sculpting of ice… The rain, pineapples and whatever else Mother Nina ultimately threw at us couldn’t put a stop to the first ever Ice Fest Rail-Jam!

As darkness loomed Sunday evening and what had been a torrential downpour began to subside, hundreds in town for the festival turned out for the weekend’s culminating event and subsequent firework display.

The feature in play for Sunday’s Rail-Jam was the shiny NEW candy-cane painted round-rail now located in the Top Phlight Terrain Park!

Come get nasty this weekend in our newly rebuilt park and check out this and a couple of other surprise NEW FEATURES!

The January 16th Rail-Jam was hosted by Stevens Pass, The City of Leavenworth and showcased the talents of local skiers and riders. The boys (and girl!) got jibby, while local DJ Isaac Kaplan-Woolner bumped tunes into an enthusiastic crowd, and Stevens Pass’ own Ryan McLaughlin shredded the microphone with his unique brand of witty banter. As the evening progressed, so too did the level of tricks going down on the rail. Stevens Pass standouts Joe Bosler and Chris Griffing were slaying it, but the youngsters checked in as well with a wide array of skiers and boarders throwing some pretty technical stuff!

When asked what he thought of the event, competitor and Top Phlight Terrain Park employee Max McIndoe replied: "It’s super fun, I think we’re all pretty stoked on it in general. Everyone is throwing down." Max also added that the candy-cane feature would soon be found lurking somewhere in the Terrain Park…

 Top Phlight's David Steele getting jibtastic on Sunday night in Leavenworth!

One spectator, Susan Jeffery of Redmond, WA, says her family has a vacation home in the area and that they try to catch the Leavenworth Ice Fest annually. When asked for her take on the Rail-Jam, Susan replied, "This is awesome. It’s a lot of fun to watch, and to see the younger generation doing what they love to do."

All in all, the Ice Fest Rail-Jam in Leavenworth was a complete success and a blast for all involved. There seemed to be a lot of hopeful chatter that this would not be the last such Stevens/Leavenworth collaboration as well! So if you missed out this year, maybe you could catch it next year; perhaps with a bit more cooperative weather! Either way, come check out the park. It’s really starting to get built, with a bit of new snow coming in and some cool new features, head up to Stevens this weekend! The Seahawks are out and it’s too wet to skate… what else are you going to do?

As seen on www.ridestevenspass.com: http://ridestevenspass.com/news/2011/01/20/ice-fest-railjam