The Road to Vail

For the top snowboarders in the world the open road and air ports are home. As a professional snowboarder you are traveling from contest to contest and from snowy location to snowy location trying to get photographs in magazines and to piece together a video part. As a photographer in the industries my schedule is very much the same traveling where the snow is weather is be NYC  to photograph hand rails or to the snowiest parts of the west coast. when something goes down you must be there to document it. This trip is no different than any other. Our trip was starting in Tahoe California and ending at Vail Colorado for the Honda Sessions at Vail. Along the way we are making stops at Brighton Resort in Utah to ride powder, Salt Lake City to shoot hand rails, and Park City resort to ride jumps before the Contest at Vail.

PHOTO GALLERY    Check out the photo gallery View Gallery>

On the road trip was Forum snowboards rider Mary Sallah and mathematics snowboard rider Mat Inglis aka Lone Ranger.

Day 1- or should I say night one. We left Tahoe California around 7pm to start the 8 hour drive to Salt Lake City in search of powder. I’m pretty sure I slept for a couple hours before waking up at the coldest place in the world. I have no idea where it was but some where between Tahoe and SLC is with out a doubt the coldest truck stop in the world not to mention faulty gas pumps that leak out of the handle every where. After possibly freezing to death or blowing up we continued down the road. Finally around 3:30 am we finally made it to good old SLC ( Salt Lake City).

Day 2- After spending the few hours left of night on friend and snowboarder Nick Russles four we rose early to ride powder. The nice folks at Brighton Resort hooked us up with complimentary tickets enabling us to ride some of the west’s best in and out of bounds powder. Although it had not snowed in about 3 days it was clear blue skies and a mountain full of possibility. After a couple warm up runs which where also freezing cold we decided to go ride powder. After a chairlift ride and a long hike we where atop a huge ridge over looking some un touched powder perfect for shooting. After some great powder turns Nick decided to build a cheese wedge jump. This is just as it sounds. A wedge of snow in the shape of a chease wedge at the edge of a drop to help send you out from the drop a little bit befor landing also enabling you to do tricks off of. With a small hike out we where off to shoot some hand rails in the evening light. with a attempt to shoot a large gap to rail proving futile Mary and i decided to do something ells. We moved over to a fence with a jump over it and got some good shots before heading home for the night.

Day 3-  I have to start off the entry by saying that i got to wake up to a box of cinnamon buns this morning thanks to Mary. I was stoked, so excited. but any ways the weather was really gray so we decided to go out and find some hand rails and other obstacles to snowboard on in the city. We started out by going to a local spot called the rail gardens. It’s a dog park that has a lot of hand rails that are very accessible to grind on. After shooting for a while it proved to be successful walking away with some great shots of Mary and lone ranger.
The next obstacle we hit was a fence stall. it is a snow ramp with a gap up to the fence to stall and do tricks on. The lighting was great for silhouettes so we got some more artsy shots which is always a nice change. The next spot we went to was a rock stall to get some dusk lighting shots which was fun but short lived. Then back to the house where I am now writing. Well that’s all for today.

Day 4- Today was a fun day. We got up this morning, packed up our bags and headed up the road to park city. After a couple phone calls and a trip to marketing we got our tickets and headed up the hill. From the bottom you can see the parks. A larger park with tons of rails and a fun jump line and a smaller park with a huge half pipe. After some warm up runs marry nick and lone ranger started stepping up to get some fun in bounds shots. just lapping the park and snapping photos was a nice change from setting up big shoots. fun and light hearted. After some runs we went over to the small park to find a mini quarter pipe with a stall on the lift shack roof. After a couple poppy tweaks and grabs from nick lone ranger decided to step it up. With out much warning lone ranger gapped from the quarter pipe to the roof and almost made it back down. After one or two more attempts he was dialed.

As he went time and time again the crowd grew larger until

finally his board broke and we had to call it quits.  After that we headed down to shoot in the half pipe. Being some what early in the season the riders where still getting there pipe legs back under them. After a couple practice runs we started shooting. with a blue bird day and a nice soft half pipe i was optimistic. After a few minuets every started going off and getting shots. It was defiantly the first real pipe shoot of the season and it felt good. After a few more fun runs we decided to call it quits. With good spirits after a fun day we where ready for the Honda sessions at Vail contest. Tomorrow we will be registering for the event in Vail Colorado so stay posted to see how Mary Sallah does this time around.

We made it. After a couple round about that where not intended and the scariest high way pass i have ever been on we made it to Vail. Leaving Park City at like 9am Mary took the wheel and dint let go. Trucking straight through to Grand Junction CO. where we experienced one of the nicest and most detailed road side car washes around. These guys hooked it up. Not only was our huge SUV disgustingly dirty inside and out but was also packed full of snowboards, camera gear, clothes, and every other thing you can imagine. These guys vacuumed over under and around our mountain of junk, I was extremely impressed to say the least. After a 10 minute detour for gas and to find some chicken fast food spot Mary raved about we where back on the road. oh yeah we never found the chicken place. As Mary trucked on the travel began to wear at me as I started to join lone ranger as another sleeping passenger. Some how the two people who drank all the red bull where asleep and red bull free Mary was still driving. Any ways about two hrs later we made it. Yep the wheel stayed on and the car did not blow up. All of these where very viable options as we cruised on the edges of huge cliffs and through some wild desert area. Don’t forget to check back and see how Mary does at the Honda Sessions at Vail against some of the world’s best riders.