Moments
LE BENT WELCOMES ALINE BOCK TO THE FAMILY
ALINE BOCK – WELCOME INTERVIEW Aline Bock's introduction to the world of snowboarding began, like most, in the pipe and park before switching focus to more natural terrain and spending three years sending lines on some of the worlds gnarliest peaks on the Freeride World Tour circuit. But these days, the 34-year-old German is much more likely to be spotted in some far-slung destination bagging peaks and powder in front of a camera. Naturally, it was on an isolated beach on Ireland's rugged coastline that we found Aline and pinned her down to discuss her latest adventures and welcome her as the newest member of the Le Bent family. LB: ALINE, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK WITH US. WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE YOU RIGHT NOW? HAVE YOU MANAGED TO SCORE SOME EARLY SEASON TURNS? I am currently in Ireland, shooting bike and surf for an outerwear brand, a bike company and also for Ireland tourism. This place is so beautiful and magical with stunning views. There is so much to see at the coastline and the waves are actually amazing over here. No crowds! The water is quite freezing, but if you wear a decent wetsuit, it's actually fine. I love being involved in media opportunities where several sports are combined. It´s a bit of a challenge and long days and with more options, you always have choices to make, but it's totally worth it and the fact that you can chose between more than one sport is just great. If there is no surf, you can always bike somewhere.I haven't had the chance to get some turns in yet, but I have heard that it already snowed quite a bit back home. So hopefully in the next few weeks, I might put a snowboard under my feet to get my legs strong. WILL YOU BASE YOURSELF IN INNSBRUCK AGAIN THIS SEASON? Yeah, Innsbruck has been my base for over 14 years now. I have studied there and I don't think I could find a nicer place to live. I would like to live near the beach one day, but until then, I actually love Innsbruck and its surroundings. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS? WILL YOUR FOCUS BE MORE TOWARD FILM PROJECTS, OR COMPETING THIS YEAR? I will definitely be focussing on another film project. After Way North and Way East, we are already thinking of where to go next. Nothing is planed yet, but we did some brainstorming already. Also I will still run my split boarding camps in the alps as well as a new project called SAFE ON SNOW www.safeonsnow.org - it's a female-specific avalanche clinic that offers a supportive, fun and educational day in the mountains. At SAFE ON SNOW we create a comfortable environment for women to refresh or start their path to becoming educated in how to travel in avalanche terrain. YOU’VE RECEIVED A LOT OF PRAISE FROM BOTH AUDIENCES AND INDUSTRY FOR THE WAY NORTH PROJECT IN NORWAY LAST YEAR. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO TRAVEL SO FAR TO CHASE BOTH WAVES AND SNOW? Yeah, the project was shot very far north in the arctic circle at the Lofoten Islands, in Norway. There are a lot of fjords and really steep alpine terrain falls directly into the ocean. The weather changes super fast and this is also what's so special about that place. We took all our equipment in our Sunlight camper van with us, so we knew we had the option to either go surfing or to hike up some mountains. We only had 11 days up in the Lofoten islands to shoot, so it was hard to plan with changing weather, snow and surf conditions. To make the best out of every day was a challenge, but I think we were pretty lucky with the conditions we had to deal with. The other challenge was living in a camper van for two weeks with five people. But it worked out pretty well and I think everybody had a great time. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE MORE MOTIVATED TO PUSH YOUR OWN LIMITS BY BEING INVOLVED IN PROJECTS LIKE THIS? HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM YOUR YEARS ON THE FREERIDE WORLD TOUR? Competing at the Freeride World Tour was great and I had a lot of fun those years. I also learned a lot and I definitely don't want to miss that time. I sometimes watch the live broadcast and when I see all my friends and the whole FWT family, I really wish I could be there with them at the time. But after three years and one major injury I really wanted to do something else and be able to travel to different places. When I had the chance to go to Alaska to film some big mountain riding, I did not hesitate to skip the last events. When you compete, you definitely push yourself more and you might risk a bit more, but producing and organising my own projects is what I always really wanted to do and dreamed of. CAN YOU DRAW PARALLELS BETWEEN THE PRESSURES TO ENTERTAIN YOUR AUDIENCE AND THE SAME PRESSURE OF COMPETITION? I think it is a different feeling, but there is still pressure on your back when you show your film to the people at home. It´s exciting and you cannot wait for the feedback, but it is not the same feeling when I stand on the start gate. I GUESS WITH A NEW FOCUS ON ADVENTURE AND DISCOVERY A BRAND LIKE LE BENT IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR YOU. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAME TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE BRAND? I got in touch with Le Bent the first time when we were planning our new project, Way East in Japan last year. Aaron Jamieson who was helping us a lot with the project proposed to organise some nice thermal layers that would keep us warm and comfortable during our snow camping mission or along the whole trip. I was really happy with the material and liked the products a lot. WHAT IS IT ABOUT LE BENT YOU FIND MOST APPEALING? I love that Le Bent is not using any toxic material but rather working with fabrics like Merino & Bamboo.They use their knowledge along with renewable, natural and sustainable materials in all their products to provide our feet and body with good comfort. YOU SPENT SOME TIME IN JAPAN THIS PAST WINTER FILMING FOR YOUR LATEST PROJECT WAY EAST. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT CONTINUATION OF THE WAY NORTH CONCEPT? After our exciting trip to Norway last winter, this winter’s adventure meant turning WAY NORTH into WAY EAST and looking to more distant horizons for another exciting project. Fully equipped with skis and boards for all kind of waves and snow, we set off in search of the famous Japanese powder snow and perfect waves, but also to discover the reality of a post-Fukushima life in Japan. Our adventure took us several thousand kilometres around Hokkaido on a surf, snow, and camping adventure through the mountains to the ocean and covering some of the least-visited and undiscovered corners of the island. With tents and camping equipment on our backs, we hit the trail on our skis and split boards to reach the Sea of Japan. Wind, 20kg+ of gear, fog, and freezing nights in the snow pushed us to our limits. With our journey through a remote wilderness of untouched landscapes, riding perfect lines and surfing unnamed waves, we carved our own path.Vimeo Link Trailer: https://vimeo.com/173923430 WE HAVE TO MENTION IT, WAY SOUTH? AUSTRALIA? SEEMS LIKE A PERFECT FIT? That would be awesome. I would love to… maybe we could plan something together then. ABOUT ALINE BOCK Age: 34 Hometown: Innsbruck/Austria Home Resort: Arlberg / Nordkette Nationality: German Sponsors: THULE, Ortovox, ABS, Deeluxe, Sunlight, HAD, Le Bent, Moken Vision, Bleed Clothing Favourite Le Bent gear: Women's Le Base 200 Lightweight Baselayer
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THE LINE-UP IS STRONG!
The 2016/17 is upon us, so we thought we'd put together a little clip of our riders to get you amped. Head over to our FIND A STORE page for your nearest stockist in North America and Europe.
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RISK RESPONSE & RESCUE - MAKING A DIFFERENCE
For most sane people, risk is an element we prefer to minimise. Skiers know all too well that risk exists in the mountains, but generally we prefer to minimise our exposure to it. Matt de Waard, mountain lover, skier, fire fighter and Senior Consultant at Risk Response and Rescue is clearly no ordinary sane person as he not only thrives on risk, he’s built a career around it. “Risk Response and Rescue provide advice and consultancy services on safety and emergency management, training and personnel for some of the nation’s biggest infrastructure projects, recreational pursuits and iconic locations,” he explains. “Basically, we do emergency and safety management. Usually our clients ask us to provide advice and consultancy to implement emergency management systems. We then also provide training, and operations for high risk activities – essentially across land, marine, aviation, alpine and underground environments. This puts my team and I in a range of high risk operational environments during a range of conditions.” “Quite often we might run a mine rescue program out in Cobar, and one of the subject matter experts for life-support may be a ski patroller from the Snowy Mountains. That might seem strange but it’s actually typical for a ski patroller from Thredbo to see a heck of a lot more trauma than a mine rescue guy working out in the bush. We try to bring people from different industries together to try and cross-pollinate what we do.” As you’d expect, operations like Risk Response place a lot of stress and reliance on their gear: “One week I might be underground in a mine on Monday, and then by Wednesday I’ll be ski-patrolling in Perisher, and then hanging off the Sydney Harbour Bridge a week later. We get to do all sorts of fun stuff.”. After 19 back-to-back winters between the United States and Australia, de Waard takes the job in his stride, but says having good quality equipment is factor number one in his preparation: “Naturally, you’d expect that an operation like ours requires a broad range of specialised gear and equipment alongside a lot of cool toys. We rely on our gear to perform to the highest possible level so that we can focus on the important tasks at hand. This is why we’ve come to rely so heavily on Le Bent and their products,” he told us. “Through all our work, from ski patrolling to working with Snowy Hydro and Alpine Rescue units we get out and about all the time. One of the things we really like about the Le Bent gear is that first and foremost it’s comfortable. I’ve been using the bamboo and merino socks since they were released and I cannot fault them. I’ve never had a bad day out in those socks. I’ve tried a fair few brands and ripped through them pretty quick – it tends to happen when you’re in ski boots 220 days of the year. They cannot be beat.” Since Matt and the team at Risk Response first got wind of the rest of our products from baselayers to facemasks they couldn’t wait to try it. “It was an easy decision. You can wear the gear all day without it getting too itchy or too uncomfortable. It never seems to be too hot or too cold. It’s always just right.” If there’s one thing that Risk Response knows when they see it, it’s quality and durability. For the average consumer, you can rest assured knowing that if our gear can stand up to what Risk Response can throw at it, it will last anyone else for years to come.
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WAY EAST (TRAILER)
After a trip to Norway last year, this winter’s adventure for Aline Bock and Lena Stoffel meant turning WAY NORTH into WAY EAST and looking to more distant horizons for another exciting project for the two friends. The small team - consisting of Aline; 2010 Freeride World Tour Champion, Lena; professional freeskier, filmmaker Mathias Koegel, and local guide and photographer Aaron Jamieson - met in Hokkaido to prepare for a late winter sojourn. Equipped with skis and boards for all kinds of waves and snow, they set off in search of the famous Japanese powder snow and perfect waves but also to discover the reality of life in Japan, post-Fukushima. “ We wanted to get our own personal insight of the situation and the reality of nuclear pollution after the accident and even more importantly, get to know what the local population thinks about it“ says Aline. The adventure would take them several thousand kilometres around Hokkaido on a surf, snow, and camping adventure through the mountains to the ocean and covering some of the least-visited and undiscovered corners of the island. We are proud to be supporting this amazing project, stay tuned for the full release. directed & shot by Mathias Kögeledit & sound design by Mathias Kögeladditional footage by Aaron Jamieson
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"THE RISING GAIJINS"
Three freeskiers & two snowboarders from New Zealand become...“The Rising Gaijins" A short film by Jake Munro of 3 freeskiers & 2 snowboarders from New Zealand who set aside their differences on a trip to the backcountry of Japan & later become.. “The Rising Gaijins’. Featuring Our Line-Up Members - Harry Pettit and Rupert Paterson along with Nick Brown, George Pengelly & Jack Spence.
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DON’T GET LEFT OUT IN THE COLD THIS WINTER.
How to choose the perfect thermal underwear. BASE LAYERS Picture this: you've scored first chair of the day and there's 45cm of blower pow on the ground. Your chair crests the ridgeline and you feel an icy cold blast of deep Antarctic wind. You tuck your chin a little deeper into your face mask; you know what storm skiing is all about and your base layer game is on point today. You skate a couple steps and ski toward the next chair as you steal a glance to your left; all those suckers inside, you know what they got wrong? Their thermals. Getting your ski base layers wrong can be one of the most uncomfortable, and even most dangerous mistakes you can make in the mountains. If you're not prepared for what the weather will be doing, then you’re not prepared for anything. So with all manner of options on the market, what makes the perfect set of thermal underwear? Le Bent are unique in this space as we offer a unique bamboo and merino blend that allows us to offer a silky soft hand feel that keeps our customers coming back for more. What Material Is Best?When deciding on the perfect set of men’s, women’s or kid’s base layers you have two options: synthetic or natural. Synthetic baselayers are generally spun with a variant of thermoplastic polymers that will work to keep you warm, but who wants to wrap themselves in plastic, right? And often they tend to stink before the day is out. Natural thermal fibres have traditionally been spun with merino wool. If it’s good enough to keep a sheep warm, then it’s good enough for humans. So, what’s the catch? Scratch. While merino wools are the perfect insulator, they’re not the perfect fabric to have pressed against your skin for twelve hours a day. So the question arises: what’s the perfect fibre? Honed over years of high-tech research and development, Le Benthad the bright idea to combine the benefits and sustainability of bamboo rayon fibre with the warmth and durability of merino. The result? The highest quality, comfort and performance you can expect from any other material. As the thermal will be the closest to your skin, the advanced wicking properties of the bamboo and merino blend ensure that moisture is worked quickly through your layers, keeping you both warm and dry with no odour build up or stink. The bamboo ensures the fabric feels nice and soft on the skin with no irritation, no itch. And no matter which weight you choose, you’ll barely notice it’s there thanks to the semi performance fit that’s designed specifically for being active in the mountains, insulating you from the elements. What Fabric Weight Do I Need?The final consideration is weight. As you’ll be aware, varying conditions call for varying levels of insulation, and getting it right starts at the base. Lightweight to midweight, Le Bent offer two options: a 200gm or 260gm variant – 200 for milder conditions – think Australian winters, or spring skiing overseas – and 260 for when it’s really blowing from the Arctic – think mid-winter in the Rockies, Europe or Japan. At Le Bent we call it our Platinum Blend and the quality of finish is immediately noticeable. It’s a unique combination of Mother Nature’s finest attributes – the growth, sustainability and softness of bamboo combined with merino, the finest natural insulator known to man kind. It’s not rocket science, it’s simply the result of years of research and design, innovation and a deep-rooted love of the mountains. No matter if you’re a skier, snowboarder, man woman or child, Le Bent has a perfect set of men’s women’s and kid’s base layers for you. Let us take care of comfort, so you can focus on having a good time. Click here to see what ActiveJunky had to say about the base layers.
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SEEKING NIRVANA - PT. 3: THE LUCKY STRIKE
This band of seekers have found a treasure, a mother lode if you will... it's time to stake their claim and strike it rich! This treasure.... it’s not the conventional kind ... gold, diamonds or other such things ... this treasure is much more rare. Found only in the alpine, an land of unrelenting rock and ice, caped with soft and endless snow. Seeking Nirvana 1.3 - The Lucky Strike from Seeking Nirvana on Vimeo. Created by:Mike Henitiuk ~ @mikeheniJoe Schuster ~ @joe_schusterRiley Leboe ~ @rileyleboeMatt Margetts ~ @mattmargetts Follow:@seeking.nirvana Fellow Traveller:Josh Bibby Video Editing, Sound Design and Color Grade:Leigh Powis Cinematography:Taylor Loughran Aerial Cinematography:Dylan Ross Narration:Colby James WestJay Henitiuk
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SEEKING NIRVANA - PT. 2: CABIN FEVER
Childhood friends embark on a journey past roads-end. Far from civilization, deep in the wilds of the British Columbia, time slows as they align with their surroundings. Battling blizzards they quest towards untracked landscapes of powder glory. Through trial and triumph they tirelessly press on. The snow falls, the angst builds. Fever has set in... Seeking Nirvana 1.2 - Cabin Fever from Seeking Nirvana on Vimeo. Strange adventures await, Seeking Nirvana. #StrangeAdventures #SeekingNirvana #CabinFever
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SEEKING NIRVANA - PT. 1: HOME
We are stoked to be involved with this new series Seeking Nirvana featuring Joe Schuster, Mike Henitiuk, Riley Leboe and Matt Margetts. Sit back and enjoy the best of Canadian pillow lines and deep pow amongst their home mountains, the Coast Range. This is the mountain village of Whistler, 675m above sea level. Forested with old growth fir and cedar. An important black bear habitat. Criss-crossed by deep valleys making way to endless glaciers. There are few paved roads but instead many miles of intersecting logging roads and dirt trails. It is an El Nino year. We are on the far edge of the Howe Sound, famous for fierce storms, which will make landfall from the west, come December. 4 men make haste into the storm in search of vast powder bowls, to which the mountain village has garnered a reputation. A difficult task, travelling the unchartered terrain, requires the groups combined wits. Only persistence and a spot of luck will reward success. The adventure begins in the mountain village they call home but foreign lands beckon. A journey awaits and a feeling desired. We follow this group, through trials and triumph, Seeking Nirvana. Seeking Nirvana 1.1 - Home from Seeking Nirvana on Vimeo.
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