Moments
What We'd Do With A $7900 Outdoor Prize Pack - Hit The Road Giveaway
It’s about that time we’re all shedding the iso chains, hopefully swapping them for snow chains or bike chains. To help in this endeavour to hit the road and reclaim the outdoors, we’ve teamed up with We Are Explorers and a bunch of like-minded brands to bring you the prize pack of the pandemic age. Valued at a whopping $7900, here’s how we’d utilise the gear if we were allowed to win it… (sadly, we’re not). First off, we’d throw said gear into the JUCY Camper (which would be ours for 14 days) then I reckon we’d drive that bad boy from our office in Sydney down to the Snowy Mountains. But, probably not as the crow flies, there’s a hell of a lot of good surf breaks in between after all and it would be rude not to test out our new Quiky and Roxy wetsuits. If there aren’t any waves, we’ve got a brand-new mountain bike to take for a spin – the Specialized Rockhopper Expert 29 MTB. But the legs will probably need even more of a stretch during such a drive and we’d likely do so in our brand-new pair of Salomon hiking shoes or new trail running shoes (depending on the mood and terrain). Obviously, these would be paired with some of our finest woollen and bamboo rayon foot sheaths (socks) and maybe the Suunto 9 Baro GPS Watch for good measure. Surf check in our Outdoor Light Crew Socks. But wait… a cursory look at the snow forecast sees over half a metre headed for the alps (we’d hope) so naturally we’d put our foot down and get there in time to take our new Atomic skis for a spin in some fresh stuff. A new Arc’teryx jacket and set of Le Bent baselayers will keep us warm during the day before we decide to retire to the van – which we’ve named Vincent – and tuck ourselves into our Sea To Summit Trek TKII Sleeping Bag. This could be you booting up behind Vincent... Photo: Teddy Laycock Got a better idea on how to maximise these outdoor goodies? Enter the comp for yourself and show us when you win! Enter here. Winner's are grinners. Photo: Tim Sanderson Hit The Road Major Prize Total Prize Value: $7908 Specialized Rockhopper Expert 29 and Tactic Helmet ($1840)Suunto 9 Baro GPS Watch – Ambassador Edition ($1099)Arc’teryx Beta AR jacket ($820)A pair of Atomic Skis ($800)14 days JUCY Camper rental ($600)Quiksilver Highline Ltd Monochrome 4/3mm Steamer Wetsuit ($500)Roxy Performance 3/2mm Steamer Wetsuit ($550)Sea To Summit Trek TKII Sleeping Bag ($429)Sea To Summit Comfort Plus Insulated Sleeping Mat ($300)2 pairs of Salomon running shoes ($400)2 pairs of Salomon hiking shoes ($400)Le Bent baselayer, neck gaiter and socks ($170) Hit The Road Runner Up Prizes (9 to Win) Total Prize Value: $340 3 days JUCY car rental ($120)Salomon Prolog Bag ($70)Arc’teryx Men’s Cap ($50)Le Bent Le Lucy trail running socks ($35)Specialized Air Tool Switch Comp Pump ($35)Sea To Summit 13L Dry Sack ($30)
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AN ODE TO BASELAYERS - NOT A BASIC PIECE OF THE LAYERING PIE
Picture this: you've scored first chair of the day and there's 45cm of blower pow on the ground. Your chair crests the ridge-line 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 layering game is as refined as they come, the product of years of hard earned lessons and cotton filled mistakes. 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 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 merino and bamboo blend that allows us to offer a silky soft hand feel that keeps our customers coming back for more and keeps you on the chair or skin track when others can’t hack it. How do we do it? Well, we ask ourselves some key questions and set our goals on delivering the most comfortable, durable and performance-orientated answers possible... 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 base layers 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 research and development and a collaboration with Australia's peak scientific body (CSIRO), we unpacked on a simple 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. An on skin layer and a layer of skins. Our 200gm Le Base Lightweight Crew Top. On paper, it’s an unlikely romance - merino and bamboo. Although the latter is technically a grass, and therefore beloved by the former… What makes the two materials so compatible is their differences. Individually rayon from bamboo and merino wool are world-class materials, but combined, they form a bespoke yarn that redefines what we thought was possible in a fabric. As the thermal will be the closest to your skin, the advanced wicking properties of the merino and bamboo 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. How easy is it to get your choice of material wrong? Earlier on in the article we alluded to some hard-earned lessons in the layering game. We thought we’d highlight them here so you can learn the easy way - if you haven’t already made the same mistakes we and many other snow-goers once made. Cotton: trite as it is to say, but cotton is not at home in the mountains. Layers keep one warm by trapping warm air next to the skin. While cotton does this to some capacity, when it gets wet, those air pockets become water pockets and cotton will stay soggy - or frozen, depending on where you find yourself - until you head back inside. A fun fact for the skin trail... cotton can absorb around 20 times its own weight in water. Synthetics: While not as abhorrent in the mountains as cotton, synthetics - of which there are many - aren’t an ideal substitute either. While better at wicking moisture, synthetics aren't as successful as merino at suppressing odours. Some manufacturers might attempt to solve this with an anti-microbial coating, but these tend to fall well short of mother nature's solution in the lanolin wax within merino. au naturel. No cotton or synthetics in sight on these base layers. 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. That is, the base of your layering, and the base of the mountain. 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. Of course these suggestions are subject to personal preference and the level of exertion you expect to be doing in your base layers. For those on the skin track all day, we suggest opting for the lighter 200gm blend, whereas if you’re riding cold chairlifts all day you might want a little more insurance and insulation. The right fit? No matter what weight you choose, you’ll barely notice it’s there thanks to our semi performance fit. We believe thermals should fit like a glove, not necessarily squeeze the life out of you by being skin tight. Our fit is designed specifically for activity and insulation in the mountains. It just so happens that it also looks at ease on an après deck. Cheers to a day made better with the right layers. At Le Bent we call it our Signature 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 mankind. 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. Le blend benefits: NO ITCH Naturally smoother and rounder fibres for itch-free comfort. IDEAL TEMP Warm in the cold and cool in the heat. DRY Naturally moves sweat away from the skin leaving you feeling drier for longer. NO STINK Helps control odour producing bacteria. UV 50+ Keeps you covered from the sun's harmful rays.
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Backcountry Tips - How to pack
Australian backcountry aficionado, and Le Bent ambassador Doug Chatten and the skilled team at Snowy Mountains Backcountry know a thing or two about snow. They also know a couple of things about weather, gear and how not to kook your way into a full-scale search and rescue operation high on the Australian Main Range. We asked Doug if we could share some of his awareness tips and he was happy to oblige. Jake Simms (@australian_backcountry) on the western faces of the NSW Main Range How To Pack - Words by Doug Chatten The following info is not an exhaustive list of necessary equipment for backcountry skiing/boarding, rather some points of view on selection to get you thinking or comparing your own ideas. Think hard before you exclude items from your pack based on your proximity to the trail head or resort area boundary. Some professional guides don’t prescribe to the term side-country & find it misleading to the lesser experienced believing that once you leave the trailhead/resort boundary you are backcountry & therefore should have enough equipment & scope in your kit to be self reliant. If forgoing equipment means you may become dependent upon others or more exposed whilst awaiting assistance then there are better decisions to be made as responsible backcountry skiers. Likewise it is unwise to become overburdened by too much equipment, if you have items in your pack that you are continually not using other than emergency equipment then perhaps you should consider omitting them. It's true that as your skills, knowledge & experience increase your risk decreases somewhat & this in-turn can justify the more advanced travelling deeper with a lighter pack but remember no one is impervious to unforeseen circumstances. The art of having the necessary amount of equipment is a balance between your ability as a backcountry enthusiast, endurance levels & the conditions you may encounter on any given day. When going all right goes all white. Pic: @cambatten_ Perform a thorough check of all your gear & equipment at the start of each season & prior to every tour, it pays to be at a heightened state of preparedness ready to make the most of favourable conditions. If meeting a group at the trailhead, as well as talking over the intended route the night before you should have discussed the possibility of any shared equipment. Each individual should have their gear checked prior to commencement on the day by the group. There are many things to consider when planning your group trip but pay special thought to what equipment your group has & what objectives you are planning, it is one of the biggest limiting factors to a successful group journey. Identify & plan for the weaknesses & capitalise on the strengths. - Does our group have a mix of heavy & lightweight gear, no we all have tech bindings, light skis & boots. “Okay, I reckon we can go with the initial plan. However if Alan’s mate turns up on his 184 by 110 fatties with frame bindings I reckon we will have to amend our intended route.” When sharing group emergency gear consider you may get split up: - “Hey Johno I reckon it’s time to activate the PLB….oh no Debby has it & she headed back after lunch.” Never skimp on your gear! Get good stuff & keep it in good repair, retire or repair it as required. - I’m gonna get those skins off ebay, that’s a deal. “If Joey hasn’t re-glued or replaced his old climbing skins he’ll be holding us up all day again!” If I’m headed for the steep country I always take crampons, ice axe & a self arrest ski pole. As the slope angle increases &/or conditions become icy this equipment is invaluable & adds a huge layer of safety to your day. When encountering slope angles in the high 20degree range climbing skins begin to fail & your progress becomes inefficient & impractical. Bootpacking in steep &/or icy terrain can be extremely dangerous & fitting a crampon in this situation greatly reduces your risk exposure & increases your efficiency. If you are snowboarding you really should consider a full shank or stiffer sole boot that can take a crampon like Fitwell, K2 Aspect, Thirty Two MTB Jones, Burton Tourist, Deeluxe Spark XV. A standard soft snowboard boot lacks integrity at the boot sole crampon interface because of the flexible sole & in steeper terrain you run the risk of losing a crampon. Whilst it is difficult trying to kick into firm steep snow in a ski boot or full shank snowboard boot, finding yourself in this position in soft boots without crampons will put you in a very exposed & dangerous situation. Team members @codytownsend & @elysesaugstad getting some insights from SMBC. Pic: Jake McBride Ski & Snowboard crampons are an ingenious invention that dramatically increase your safety margin & efficiency when the surface conditions become such that your skins are failing & you would prefer to keep skinning or you have no boot crampons & boot packing is not an option. Most touring bindings ski or snowboard have capability for a ski crampon. In recent years the popularity in the backcountry has been increasing & there seems to be many bc enthusiasts gaining some education & heading out with limited equipment, water, food & not much else! I am sure this is contrary to what they have been taught or researched. Knowledge is power but don’t let a little bit of knowledge & minimal experience overshadow the need for recognising the more likely, less sexy but equally consequential hazards in the Australian backcountry such as: 1. White outs & cornices - navigation equipment (compass, map, GPS, PLB, phone, InReach) 2. Hypothermic conditions - emergency layers (Puffy), shelter, shovel 3. Slips/trips/falls in steep &/or icy conditions - crampons, ice axe & self arrest poles 4. Snow bridges & river crossings - recognition & crossing techniques. When buying new gear go for quality always, don’t let price dictate purchases, identify what you need & go shopping! As John Ruskin quoted in the 19th century: “It’s unwise to pay too much but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money-that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do!” My gear: in no particular order - 40Litre Mont Sentinel Pack - K2 Waybacks - FRITSCHI Tecton12 - SCOTT Super Guide AT boots - G3 Alpinist Universal climbing skins - Shell Jacket & Pants: Mont Supersonic - Mid Layer: Mont Grid Pro Hoodie - Le Baselayer Top & Bottom - Insulation layer: Mont Guide Hoodie - Beanie, Neck Gaiter, Sun Hat - Gloves: winter weight & Glove Liners - Food, water, emergency ration (jerky, energy bar) - Map & compass, note pad & pencil - 1st Aid kit including heat warmers - Comms - GPS, PLB - Headlamp - Whistle - Sunnies + goggles - Sun smart - BD Neve crampons - Fritschi Traxion ski crampons - Ice Axe: BD Raven Ultra - Self Arrest Ski Pole: BD Alpine Whippet - Shelter lightweight (Vango200, 2 man bothy bag) - Beacon, probe & shovel - Repair Kit When I head BC I pretty much have the same kit in my pack every time, the only time this varies is according to my length of stay i.e. day or multi day trip. Beware of packing light just because the forecast is ideal, you never know what lies ahead & an unforeseen circumstance could see you overnighting on an otherwise perfect day? It may then be your lack of equipment that becomes your biggest issue not the initial problem. It's big out there. Stay prepared so you're not caught out when you get socked-in. Pic: Jake McBride Bottom line is in case of emergency I need enough gear to get out of the weather for the night & be safe until help arrives or I self evacuate the next day. On a day trip I’m not planning on staying overnight but I’m planning to be able to survive overnight if necessary. To find out more, head to snowymountainsbackcountry.com.au
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From Isolation to Inundation… Half a metre of May Snow at Mt Buller
In late March, ambassador Teddy Laycock was in the unenviable position of having to self-quarantine at Mt Buller for two weeks after returning from Japan. Teddy tells us, the decision to leave the cool temps and endless spring skiing opportunities of Hokkaido at that time of year was not made lightly. Teddy also told us that both his and Crystal’s families weren’t too keen to host their quarantine, being potential corona carriers, so Buller was, no pun intended, a last resort. Yet, a little over three weeks after the pair were permitted to go outside for exercise, Mt Buller became the place to be. Buller village looking wintry at 9am on April 30th. Photo: Teddy Laycock According to our friends at Mountainwatch, Mt Buller received 116mm of rain on Thursday, so arguably it wasn’t the place to be on this particular day. But come Friday morning, that rain had turned to snow and by Saturday morning there was 35 – 60cms across Australian resorts with up to 75cms at higher elevations. The snow quality, according to Teddy was more like mid-winter than early May and his photos sure do paint a wintry picture. Teddy never confirmed whether they went skiing, so we'll leave it up to your imagination... What would you do? Check out all the shots from Teddy below. Slowly filling in. Photo: Teddy Laycock Fingers and poles crossed we see these guys spinning this winter. Photo: Teddy Laycock Feeling a lot light a cold winter morning. April 30th. Photo: Teddy Laycock Transformed. Photo: Teddy Laycock Seasonally confused at 9:30am on April 30th. Photo: Teddy Laycock Biggest 1st of May snowfall in years... because 2020, that's why. Mother nature’s just rubbing it in at this point. Photo: Teddy Laycock Crystal walking through Alpine Ash on the 1st of May. Photo: Teddy Laycock The locals were loving it! A Crimson Rosella making most of the powder day on the 1st of May. Photo: Teddy Laycock Snow buried chairs ready to be loaded. Photo: Teddy Laycock All aboard the rime quad. Photo: Teddy Laycock We're told wind chill was down in the minus 20's.... Brrrrrrr. Photo: Teddy Laycock It was tools down on Sunday the 3rd of May. Photo: Teddy Laycock Mind-ski this one to your hearts content... Photo: Teddy Laycock Teddy's car thinks it's in Japan. Photo: Teddy Laycock Yep, we're ready for winter... and so is Mt Buller. Photo: Teddy Laycock A warm summit sunrise on May 4th. Photo: Teddy Laycock Were the last six days all a dream? #protectourseason
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ONE WORD: PANCAKES
Ok, time to try something different. We usually find ourselves in conversation with our community about feats in the outdoors or high in the hills, but when pro team member Lucy Bartholomew told us we could give mum something more than just socks for Mother’s Day we jumped at the idea! Although it comes without question that socks always become the staple gift, don’t you think it’s nice to add a little something special?… especially if it comes in the form of our favourite dish of all time. Now, the term ‘cooking’ comes very loosely to us. It's a means to fend off hangry rants more so than a tasty platter, and when put into practice, we find ourselves laying claim to the word ‘gourmet’ any time our camp kitchen experiments take on more than 3 ingredients. But one thing we do know is that we can seek out the source of a good smelling dish from a mile-off and when Lucy told us she’d been more productive during her lockdown than an office octopus, we had to refrain from eating every delicious, healthy raw ingredient before it was combined. We caught up for a chat and even included her secret recipe so you can cook up a storm while in this Covid shituation (nope, that wasn’t a misspell). Hey Lucy, great to catch up for virtual hangs. How have you been going with the crazy times of late? I’ve been good! It’s been strange to really slow down and halt some selects go life but also jump into the fast lane with some projects I’ve been wanting to do for a while and getting a good groove on some high training. Ebb and flow though-some days are easier than others. Where were you before all this went down and where have you been hiding out? I was lucky to have some early year missions to New Zealand for the Tarawera 100km and a trip to the Himalayas for a camp and exploring so I certainly got to exhaust my body and excite my mind before life hit the brakes. Pursuing greener pastures before the downtime. Pic: @andrew_fawcett We’re seeing plenty of stories coming out of how folks have been picking up new habits while staying at home. What have you found yourself up to? Something I’ve been really wanting to do was write a cook book. It’s been a fun project and definitely kept me busy, and full! Can’t say I have learnt a tik tok dance routine, but I am learning what goes into a book- and I have a lot of admiration for them all now! As one of the world’s most decorated women’s ultra-marathon runners, diet and intake would be at the top of the list outside of the training programs you’re on. How do you manage this? I chose to follow a plant-based diet which makes me feel, perform and recover at my best. I really just try to be intuitive and smart about what I eat, when I eat and why I eat foods. I always try to include a rainbow of colours, I have no problem on portion sizes and drinking plenty of water along the way too. Isolation?... or happy place? Pic: @andrew_fawcett Our mouths are watering at the thought of the wondrous creations we’re sure you’ve been working on. What’s are your favourites? If I was to be stuck on an island with one food it would be oats. I use them a lot in waffles, pancakes, cookies, smoothie bowls, bliss balls... I think they make up the most of my mass. I can’t go past a stack of pancakes or waffles where you can go wild on the toppings and it feels so abundant and delicious. Any trips to the kitchen for us generally involve a bowl of weetbix or a pack of Mi Goreng and we recently learned what the difference between a spork and a spade is. Do you have any tips for the first-time chef? Just like anything new; start small, gain confidence. Take it step by step. Enjoy the process and don’t focus too much on the outcome. My dad is a great example who used to burn water but now has turned into quite the cook when I’m away (when I come back, suddenly he loses the talent). Ok, we’re all set to don the apron and give this a whirl. How else can we learn about these delicious and healthy recipes you’re creating? I’m hoping to release this cook by the middle of 2020 (we’re nearly there) so that will be the easiest and best presented way to follow along with the recipes. Otherwise my Instagram feed and stories is usually either running or eating! Well Lucy, we’re so damn pleased to get the time to hang out and get an insight into what you’ve been up to. We really hope to see you in person soon, whether it be on the trail or in the kitchen. Thanks for keeping us company! Mother’s Day Pancakes 3 cups oat flour** (makes 8 small pancakes - don’t forget your dad, siblings and yourself too) 1cup almond milk 2tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon Bunch of fresh Strawberries, sliced + your toppings! Here with: yoghurt, more strawberries, walnuts, coconut, tahini! **If you need to make oat flour. It’s easy. Blitz 3cups or raw rolled oats in a blender on high for 1min until a fine consistency! Done! Step 1. In a bowl mix together all ingredients until well combined. If it’s a little thick add some extra almond milk or water splash by splash Step 2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place spoonful of the mixture into the pan in your ideal size Step 3. Place a few slices of the fresh strawberries into the mixture Step 4. Let cool for 2-3 min and then flip Step 5. Let cook for another 2-3min Step 6. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining mixture Step 7. Stack your pancakes and go wild on your favourite toppings! Step 8. Become the favourite child. - Bon Appétit! - Lucy
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LE BENT WELCOMES DARCY KELLER TO THE FAMILY
Darcy’s our first snowboard addition to the Le Bent CA Team, and about as core as they come, so we sat down with Darcy from Donald to pick his brains and see what he has cooking.
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RIDER PROFILE – EMMA PATTERSON – GOING FULL SEND ON THE FREERIDE WORLD TOUR
EMMA PATTERSON - INTERVIEW Emma Patterson emerged onto our radar when she won the 2019 ISFA FWQ North American Championship in Kirkwood, after dominating events in Revelstoke, Crested Butte, Taos Ski Valley and Kirkwood. Her next stop was of course the Freeride World Tour, the pinnacle of competitive freeride skiing and a dream of hers since she began jumping of rocks with skis strapped to her feet at the age of four. Now at just 23 years of age and with a season competing on the FWT under her belt, we caught up with Emma to review what was both a tumultuous season for her – as well as everyone else on the tour in light of Covid-19. Emma pointing em straight on the FWT. Pic cred: Freeride World Tour LB: Hey Emma, thanks for taking the time to speak with us – although if you’re anything like us with all the lockdown craziness happening – time inside is not in short supply! Absolutely! Glad to talk with you all. It’s a good time to stay connected… from a distance of course. :) LB: So where in the world are you right now? I’m currently with my family in my hometown of Taos, New Mexico. I was lucky enough to get back from Europe before things got too crazy, but I’ve been in self-quarantine now for two weeks. We live on farm here, so we’ve been preparing to plant as soon as the weather warms up. I’m also a competitive ultramarathon runner, so running in circles around our property has been key to maintaining a sort of sanity. Even with all of my spring races being cancelled and ski season coming to an abrupt halt I think it’s super important to keep moving, even if it’s only 15 minutes of stretching on my living room floor. Reading and music have been some key activities too, all while daydreaming of creamy powder days! LB: It must be a shock to have gone from constant travel throughout the season to such a sudden standstill! How did you find all the international FWT travel? Absolutely! It’s been tough going from scrambling all over the world for two months with a big crew of people to a complete stand-still in 24 hours. I’ve travelled a ton prior to the tour, but it was completely different travelling for it. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to do it with, though. This season was nothing less than radical, despite it being so short. LB: It was your first year on the FWT – coming off the back of a stellar qualifying year – what did you expect going into the world tour? Honestly, I was simply happy to have made it as far as I did. I was afraid going into Hakuba, Japan (the first stop) that my skiing wouldn’t be up to par with everyone. I definitely perform better when I don’t have any expectations of myself, so I decided I would go ski a line I was really excited for. The one expectation I had for the season was to just be me: ski the way I ski, ski what I want to ski, and smile the entire time. LB: How did those expectations compare to the real deal? Expectations were exceeded, by a lot. I did exactly what I wanted to do: I looked at each face and found the areas that looked most exciting to me. Choosing different lines down those faces was a dream come true. Unfortunately, I got unlucky in three of four of my runs. This season I fell approximately three times… all during my comp runs. Funny, right? I really wouldn’t have changed a thing. My lines were insanely fun, and I really did smile the entire time apart from a few moments of bumming post-crash(es). Emma inspecting one of her favourite faces in Kicking Horse, BC. Pic cred: Jeremy Bernard/FWT LB: You’d previously told us, despite the crashes, that you wouldn’t change a thing in hindsight and we love that ‘go big or go home’ attitude. Your tomahawk at the first stop in Hakuba is one for the books, talk us through that. Hakuba was the first stop, and my first time ever visually inspecting a face. During inspection day, I planned a very chill run with three small hits. I was planning on skiing it fast and showing my racer background. I had my line the night before, slept on it, and woke up on comp day with that plan and on a mission to complete it. I rode up on the gondola by myself that morning and played some of my favourite music. Headspace plays a huge role in performance for me, so my morning chill time is quite important. That morning was magical. First light was a cool yellow, lighting up all of Hakuba Valley and its majestic peaks. The first snowboarder dropped, and he entered the zone we called “the horseshoe.” I turned to my dad and said “that looks insanely fun. I’m doing that.” He pulled out my binoculars, I looked at my entrance and exit for approximately two minutes, and began my hike to the start gate. I wasn’t super nervous by any means, but I was really excited to go ski that line. Clicking into my skis, putting my GoPro on my helmet, and making sure the right song was playing, I took a deep breath and one more look at the peaks surrounding and the dreamy face I was about to ski. I came out of the start feeling really good, then I hit some nasty snow and got a little nervous. I slowed down for a second, and then remembered the bottom section and told myself to just get there. The snow was beautiful. Flying through it like a dream, I got to the blind section and pointed ‘em. I saw my landing, and stomped it. I took a deep breath, stoked on what I had done, and went to take a turn… nope. Snow snakes were on the prowl. I was able to keep my arms in to protect my neck, thank goodness. That was definitely the nastiest tommy I’ve ever had. I think crashing was out of my hands, unless I had been a few inches to the left or right of where I was. Really, I wouldn’t change a thing. That was FUN! This is what Emma calls FUN... it's also a pretty good metaphor for what happened to the 2020 ski season in light of Covid19. LB: Did you have a favourite venue / mountain / country to compete in on the tour? And moreover, a favourite line you put down? Every competition was different. Hakuba didn’t have the best snow conditions, but I hadn’t been to Japan yet. Seeing the culture was absolutely one for the books. Kicking Horse, British Columbia has been one of my favourite mountains since I first competed there on the Freeride World Qualifiers. The best part about being there was shredding hard every day on some of my favourite terrain with some of my favourite people! Andorra was one of the coolest countries, too. The trails there were absolutely breathtaking (literally – quite steep!!). The snow was far from great during our first four days there, so we got after the trail adventures instead. Some storms hit for our last two days there, and dang we made some fun turns. The competition conditions were all-time. Being a little person and going first in the field wasn’t to my advantage, though. I literally disappeared in all of the snow on one of my landings. It would’ve been awesome had I not been competing! Fieberbrunn was, too, simply unreal. The Austrian Alps will always have my heart. The venue, Wildseeloder, was hands down the best venue all season. Beautiful snow conditions, steep chutes, and some dang fun airs! LB: Although we’re sad we won’t be able to watch you send again on the FWT next season, it was awesome to watch you tackle some of the burlier lines and drops and give it your all. What’s next as far as competing goes, is the goal to get back on tour? I am definitely bummed to have gotten so unlucky as far as crashing goes. I’d like to get back on tour eventually, but right now I’m finishing up my Master’s in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah. As far as skiing goes this winter, I’ll be putting together some filming projects and tackling some bigger lines across the states that have been dreams of mine for years! Stay tuned for those! Something tells us we haven't seen the last of Emma on the FWT. Here she is doing some sluff management down the face in Fieberbrunn. Pic cred: Jeremy Bernard/FWT LB: Until then, how are you keeping occupied? We’re guessing like everywhere else your home mountain, Taos Ski Valley, has shut up shop as part of lockdown procedures? Yep, ski season has come to an abrupt stop here in Taos. It’s been extremely tempting to go touring, but I think it’s imperative to keep medical services for those in need right now. I’ve been laying low at home and running a ton on neighbourhood roads and trails. Honestly, I’ve been reminiscing on this season for two weeks straight… just like we all have! LB: We’ve been wearing our ski socks around the house to keep the dream alive… Have you got a favourite piece of le bent kit? Oh yeah! I’ve basically been living in my women’s Le Base 200 bottoms with a sweater and my Le Lucy Trail socks. They’ve been awesome for running, too. I hate taking them off, but I promise I’ve been washing them… just reluctantly. :P LB: Ha ha! We've been known to sleep in le baselayers from time to time so definitely know the feeling! Thanks for chatting with us and once again congratulations on such an epic season of sending! Thanks to you guys! I really couldn’t be more stoked to have had such a rad season on Tour, and I can’t wait for what next season will bring. For now, it’s time for reflection. I know we’re all go-getters, but slowing down is healthy and now is the best opportunity for some true R&R. Enjoy it, breath, and bake some banana bread! :) ABOUT EMMA PATTERSON Age: 23 Hometown: Taos, New Mexico, USA Home Resort: Taos Ski Valley, USA Nationality: USA Sponsors: Le Bent, Salomon, Flylow Gear, Douchebags, Taos Ski Valley Favourite Le Bent gear: Le Lucy Ultra Light Trailrunning Sock Follow Emma here: Instagram
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LE BENT SKIER ISAAC FREELAND IS 2020 FREERIDE WORLD TOUR MEN’S CHAMPION!
Freeride World Tour rookie and Le Bent athlete Isaac Freeland took the tour by storm this season with consistent runs, strong line selection and a bag of tricks that saw him end up on top of the men’s ski field with one final event remaining in Verbier, Switzerland. While a decision was made to conclude the tour early and the Bec des Rosse face would not be skied on account of Covid-19 and burgeoning government lockdowns, a silver lining was our boy Isaac walked away with the world championship and rookie of the year title! As much as everyone would have loved to see the guys and gals throw down in Verbier – Isaac included – congratulations are in order! Isaac bagged an 11th at the first event in Kicking Horse, BC, before really kicking into gear with a 5th in Hakuba, Japan, followed up by back to back 2nd place finishes in Fieberbrunn, Austria and Ordino Alcalís, Andorra. Check out the 2020 recap and some of Isaac’s sends below. If you find yourself with some free time these coming weeks – you can rewatch all the events at Freerideworldtour.com. Isaac (middle) before the Kicking Horse event in BC. Isaac's wearing our Heather Gray Lightweight Balaclava. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Isaac mid run/mid air at Kicking Horse. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Isaac wasn’t the only team rider on the circuit this year. Skier Andrew Pollard, off the back of winning the 2019 rookie of the year award rounded out the Men’s podium in 3rd. Andrew Pollard sending one at Kicking Horse where he grabbed 3rd. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Congratulations also to snowboarder Blake Hamm who finished 7th overall with a 3rd place result in Ordino Alcalís, Andorra, and to Emma Patterson who competed in the ski women’s event for the first time. See below for the full statement from the Freeride World Tour on the decision to cancel the final event. Statement From FWT: Following the current situation concerning COVID-19, the Grande Finale of the Freeride World Tour 2020 and all Qualifier and Junior events have been cancelled. Due to COVID-19 and the new measures put in place by the Swiss government today, we are sorry to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Verbier Xtreme, as well as all Junior and Qualifier events. The situation surrounding COVID-19 is evolving rapidly, and the priority of the Freeride World Tour before everything else is to insure the health and safety of its fans, athletes, team and their peers. The World Champions will be discerned from the current 2020 season rankings which will remain as they currently stand. We would like to thank all of the athletes, fans, and staff for this incredible season.
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WILL BERMAN TAKES TO THE STREETS FOR 18/19 SEASON EDIT
Will Berman is Le Bent’s resident street skiing wizard. A dislocated shoulder mid-way through the 18/19 season didn’t stop Will from putting together full parts in both Level 1's 'Romance' and Faction Skis 'The Collective' from which this footage comes. The filming took Will from Minnesota to the streets of Finland. Check out Le Berman’s work below!
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