Montana Ski Company

For those about to rock... we salute you.

2010-03-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

For those of you following the trends of ski design throughout the industry you've already witnessed the freight train that is "rocker" railing through your local ski town. Rocker has been around the ski industry, at least in theory, thanks to the late great Shane McConkey. Here's a little history of Shane's pioneering thoughts on ski shape if you're unfamiliar. While there are various ways to implement rocker in a ski design the goal is the same -- floatation and maneuverability. Rocker gets to the heart of the difference between turning on the snow and turning in the snow.

There are a lot of different terms (and marketing jibberish) floating around the industry these days... full rocker, shovel rocker, pop rocker, decambered early rise, banana technology, recurve, etc. Don't buy into the hype too much, the important thing is to consider how you are going to use any new pair of skis -- Riding groomers all day? All mountain? Sessioning the park? Backcountry touring? Heli ski trip? Some combination these? Basically it goes like this: The deeper the snow the more rocker you want.

I was discussing these points on the chairlift with a colorful old ski bum friend who's skied more days than most people live. He asked me why anyone would ever want to float on top of the deep powder. "Some of those skis just look ridiculous flapping around the hill," he said gruffly. "If it's good snow I want to be as deep in it as possible!" Interesting point.

With the pros and cons of rocker in mind the process for designing our latest ski began. A few weeks later the Skookoleel was born. The Skook incorporates a sublte camber (think softened traditional ski) with an early rise at the tip and the tail. We taper the tips and tails so that while you are skiing the hardpack they are out of the way allowing you to effectively ski the cambered running surface, but once you travel off-piste the early rise portions of the tip and tail kick in to give you added floatation and manuevarability. What you end up with is a five dimensional ski with a 23 meter radius. What does that mean? A ski that can arc turns on the groomer and butter turns in the steep and deep. It's beautiful thing.

There's not a single ski on the market that will ski all conditions at the top of it's class. But there are skis out there that will suit your style of skiing and the places you ski best 90% of the time. So get out there and try some new rockered skis already!

Delicious Demo's and Cowgirl Coffee

2010-03-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple weeks we have been drinking a lot of Cowgirl Coffee and testing our sweet new ski designs -- The Canyon, Skook, and Soldier. We're running some promotional lid stickers through Cowgirl Coffee (see picture) to get the word out about our new business so stop by one of their locations in the Flathead and get your caffeine fix.... oh, and ask them about Montana Ski Company too.

The Soldier is our new all-mountain and park ripper that's light and initiates turns easily. At 126-87-116 the Soldier has enough float and sidecut to arc groomers but not get bogged down off piste -- so far our testers love the performance but feel that the abuse put on park skis will warrant a heavier more durable ski. So we've decided to beef up the Soldier underfoot and add an even thicker topsheet to defend against the abuses that jibbing boxes and rails delivers.

The new Canyons have a more sublte twin tip design producing a longer effective running surface as well as a softer wood core to let it bend more easily in the pow. Despite a longer running surface and a 106mm waist underfoot the Canyons have enough sidecut to slip through tight trees (23m radius at 184). The Canyon has been my go to ski this season and with the new improvements will no doubt be my mainstay in 2011 too.

Rocker seems to be the buzz word in the ski industry these days. Shovel rocker, early rise, full rocker.... it's all good, but in order to reap the most benefits you need to consider the conditions you're going to ride. Considering that most powder days are a combination of untouched lines and skied out exits we created the shape for the Skook ski. The Skook shape incorporates shovel and tail rocker with subtle camber underfoot to create a fat ski that can arc longer turns through the crud but has the float neccessary to handle an epic day.

The Throwdown at Showdown

2010-02-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

Although it's been an odd winter with El Nino shepparding the snows to the southern states there are still many powdery stashes to be found. I found a few stashes recently at the Showdown ski hill at King's Hill pass in the Little Belt Mountains.

It was a great weekend full of sunshine and even some fresh snow falling overnight. There were a lot of Montana families at Showdown, most of whom were there to compete and watch the Youth Ski League speed events that were taking place. Imagine 12 year olds (and under) going 55 miles an hour...!! Yep, a bunch of little ripping skiers shredding the slopes. But while the kids were having lunch and changing from their racing gear to their freeskiing gear coach Zak (aka The Ginger Kid) found some pretty sweet little zones of fresh snow.

Big shout out and thanks to the friendly staff at Showdown....thanks for awesome breakfast, good laughs, and epic turns. See you next year!!

Town Hall Meeting

2010-02-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about skiing in Montana is the relationship between the National Forest Service and so many great hills.  Having an open boundary with quick an easy access to backcountry skiing is just so excellent. The next time you're out schralping some excellent sidecountry turns don't forget to thank the good people at the National Ski Areas Association, National Forest Service, and U.S. Skiing.

http://www.wildwilderness.org/docs/ski-mou.htm

On the other hand, the occasional inbounds poach can land you in serious hot water. And while it might seem like the TJ Burke thing to do, it may involve a brush with local authorities.  The last thing you want is to get caught waiting for the judge when it's powder day on Porphyry Peak!

Cinching it up in the Little Belt Mountains

2010-02-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

Of the 16 ski resorts (I use the term "resort" extremely loosely) in Montana there are few that rival Showdown. I'm not talking about epic lines, awesome nightlife, or high speed quads...I'm talking old school Montana skiing. It's the kind of place that makes you feel like time travel is possible. Pleasantville meets Ski School meets Deadwood. If I had to sum it up in a word? Classic.

The two towns that sit just down the canyon from Showdown are Neihart and Monarch. These old mining towns still have prospectors holding court at the local watering hole. I'm not kidding, they still prospect and even pan for gold on occasion. The ski hill itself has been in operation since the 1930's when some skiing pioneers founded the Great Falls Ski Club. I can only imagine what the drive was like back then -- it's about an hour and half now.

There aren't many pretensions at Showdown. The rental shop is in an old A-frame that looks as old as the mountain itself (see picture above). The breakfast special is called the Miner, the drink special is coffee (until noon), and everyone is on a first name basis, including the owner. George has owned and operated Showdown since God bequethed it to him on the sixth day, or so it seems anyway. Old George is a bit of a curmudgeony fellow but he runs a tight ship. He might be bellowing instructions to the staff one minute and then serving you hot coffee with a smile the next.

The skiing at Showdown is also free of pretension and the lack of posers is pretty refreshing. Porphory peak provides some solid vertical and with an elevation a little over 8,000 ft there's always a fair amount of snow. Every time I visit it's either a bluebird day or a powder day and on a few occasions it's been both. I won't spray about awesome pillow drops or perfectly spaced tree lines; I'll leave it to you check out the action yourself. Oh, and if you're in the area make sure to stop by the Cub's Den or the Lazy Doe for a frosty pint and a few stories, I gaurantee a classic moment will occur.

Mile High Mile Deep

2010-02-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Considering the progression and popularity of winter sports it is surprising that certain epic areas remain totally underappreciated and often totally untracked. The realization of this phenomena became totally obvious us when we stopped into Walkerville, Montana. We discovered that Walkerville has a proliferation of urban skiing opportunities unseen on this side of the Atlantic. The people are friendly and despite it's proximity to a Superfund site we found a bevy of clean unblemished lines. If you're in the Butte area we definitely recommend a stop into Walkerville... seriously good stuff.

MSC goes on tour

2010-01-28T09:34:00.000-08:00

Be on the lookout throughout Montana as the Montana Ski Company goes on tour. Post a mobile upload of the MSC H1 to Facebook and we'll send you an MSC hat or t-shirt. That's right, all you have to do is cap a picture of us on the road (that means anywhere but Whitefish) and it's free swag for you!

The Jonze

2009-10-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

The leaves have seemingly fast forwarded from green to the ground. Fall is literally upon my front yard. The slopes have a tint of frost that teases me of things yet to come this winter. The coffee table is once again strewn with ski porn and snacks. Fall has officially arrived and yet I feel no loss for the passing of summer.

The arrival of the MLB Playoffs and NFL football do little to detract my mind from thoughts of the upcoming ski season. Even an impending surf trip to Mexico seems like only a pitstop before the "real" fun that will be had this winter. For nights surreal visions of massive airs in waist deep powder have been haunting my dreams. I surf the internet for the latest gear and pine over images of far off mountains and steep pillow drops. "Oh no," I think, "the worst of all fall pandemic's has just found it's next victim and that victim is me!"

Little is know about the origins of Preoccupation Obsession Wonderment Disorder, or POWDr Fever as it's known to scientists. This silent and intrusive affliction has been infiltrating ski towns around the world for decades. While its origins remain a mystery it is widely accepted that POWDr Fever is highly contagious. It can spread orally, verbally, virally, and can also be airborne for weeks. Once the symptoms set in it is nearly impossible to save those who are afflicted. The best course of action by family or friends of those afflicted is total ignorance or a heavy dose of eye rolling. If you or a loved one is "sick bra" you may find it unbearable as the white room of their imagination swallows your life.

For those of you who may be trapped in their own POWDr infirmary, or for those of you who feel some of the initial symptoms of the delirium setting in please visit the following links for help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcorGsIUPQ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcq8_u5tOt8

http://www.theadventurelife.org/skiing-deep-in-the-powder-triangle/

Insight on "Ski Porn"

2008-10-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

As the leaves fall and the temperature drops, thoughts of winter begin to enter our heads. For some this means thoughts of time spent indoors with hobbies or crafts and for others the idea of winter means traveling south. But for those of us who love snow the fall brings a steady lineup of ski porn. Oh, yes.... the ski porn.

Myriad montages of chest deep powder skiing, huge cliff drops, mind numbingly tight lines through Alaskan chutes, backside cork 900's in slow motion, untranslatable interviews in various "bro-brah" dialects, classic voice overs by octogenarian icons, shameless sponsor plugs, and gorgeous women who can ski better than 99% of people attending the ski porn in question.

The ski porn is like an annual right of passage for skiers and snowboarders. Donning our favorite beanie and ski jacket we make the pilgrimage to the pub or theater for the event. After a few pints of brew and some pointless discussion of the regional weather patterns the movie begins. Like some kind of pagan ritual the crowd begins to hoot and holler as the scenes unfold on the big screen.

The ski porn; however, does more than make us wish we were paid to ski powder all over the world. It carries us through the dreary fall months filled with 40 degree rainy days. It inspires us to get in shape for the winter, to scour the ski shops for new gear, to call our skiing buddies whom we haven't seen all summer, to wax our skis a few months early, and to put a smile on our face when we think to ourselves "I skied powder deeper than that."

do you ever miss ski season in the summer?

2008-08-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

We live where we live because we are passionate about a certain thing. That passion can manifest itself in many ways: work, drink, friendship, sport, love, etc. What I love about living in the Flathead is that there are so many iterations of that passion and so many great characters to learn from. Each has found or seeks to find their own niche; solidarity and peace discovered through the many outdoor pursuits which bring them closer to nature.

I love summer, with its placid lakes and endless opportunities; however, I love winter like a beautifully unrequited lover; her love comes and goes seasonally regardless of my hope or perseverance .

Ski Season Recap

2008-04-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Race coaching with the grom's, skiing deep powder with great friends, drinking endless amounts of Kokanee, dancing to some funky bands, shovelling seemingly endless amounts of snow, waxing skis before races, trying to cross country ski with my roommate, blasting north for some ice climbing, throwing spread eagles during skier-crosses, listening to drunk tourists recap their ski day, grovelling rides up the mountain, drinking way too much coffee, being chased by ski patrol, working 12 hours straight in ski boots, trying to pick up on cute Canadian girls, the smell of ski boots and chronic aka The Stube. Yea, it's all part of the mountain lifestyle and I love it.

In another week or two it will be time to break out the golf clubs, the mountain bike and the climbing gear .... but for now, I'll just sit back with a delicious glass of wine and ruminate on a sweet winter season.

Earn the Turn

2008-02-22T10:04:00.000-08:00

First chair and fresh tracks on a powder day are a beautiful thing, but sometimes earning your turns in the backcountry can be just as sweet.

Over the past few weeks the weather has turned from blizzard like conditions (with daily accumulations of 6"-8") to sunny springtime skiing. So in an effort to dodge the Presidents Day and Family Week crowds (it's a Canadian thing...don't ask) a friend and I ventured into the backcountry to earn a few thousand feet of vertical. It was fantastically warm and sunny during the ascent and the snow turned from a sparkled hoar frost to a heroic springtime corn that made the turns fairly effortless. And the views of Glacier National Park weren't bad either.

There is a Japanese proverb that says "One kind word can warm three winter months." I like to think that on occasion "one kind turn can warm three winter months."

T.H. drops in with the Great Northern looming in the background

Of Gurus and Gunbarrels

2008-02-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a fairly epic western winter by many accounts. The mountains have received more than 350" of snowfall this winter. Thus far the majority of the snow has been light and fluffy making for effortless powder skiing. Locals have been prone to take more time off work than normal and many ski bums have rejoiced in their pursuit of "the white room lifestyle."

The ski bum is a fairly vague term come to define those who seek to ski more than work and yet in many cirlces the term carries more stigma than gravitas. I don't wish to debate the moral good or intricacies of ski bumdom but to look beyond to those who have seemly perfected the art; those individuals who transcend simple ski-bummery and reach a higher plane of skiing nirvana. These rare individuals are like an uber-ski-bum and I have dubbed them BumUllrz. The norse god of snow, Ullr, is well know by those who travel in the circles of skidom, but the BumUllr is a mortal who acheives a certain demi-god status via the pursuit of endless powder turns. They are seemingly blessed by Ullr, like some kind of skiing yogi or bodisahtva, with the innate ability to find untracked lines and to ski them with effortless abandon.

I was fortunate enough to find myself among this rare breed a few weeks ago and, like a snowy Diane Fossey, I emmersed myself in their primal ways. While most of my time with the BumUllrz was undocumented for religious reasons I was able to capture a few moments.... behold...

The Reverend blesses an untracked line en route to "Son of Hellroaring"

Jondro shoots past some silent snowghosts while skiing "Gunbarrel"

The apprentice digs deep in search of the true meaning of first tracks

Steep and Deep Surgery

2008-01-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Regardless of the weather and the snow conditions skiing is one of my favorite things in the world. Having said that, when it snows an insane amount over the holidays and you venture out of bounds with a good friend to find "over the head" deep powder...now that's ridiculously cool.

Let's take a look at the surgery shall we...

(Above) Doctor Huff n' Puff peeks out from the White Room to see if anyone's watching his surgical manuevers

(Above) Visiting surgeon Zee Aahy completing his formal investingation of fracture lines in Canyon Creek.

(Below) The good Doctor H redistibutes fatty chunks of powder to acheive beautiful lines and "a sense of symmetry to the face"