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Inspire
Xavier de le Rue: Sluff and Ice
Rainy Day Viewing: Touching The Void
White Rose: A Ski Odssey to Antarctica
My Weekend In Photos
Congratulations to Greg "2 Mill" Hill!!
G.N.A.R
Merry Christmas
Go Home
Greg "2 Mil" Hill Closing In
Whoa…That's Insane!
Freshfield Icefield: A Skier's Journey
Provo Bros. Desert Spines – Southern Utah
Reader Poll…Are Teton Skiers Ready?
127: The Aron Ralston Story
Video: Alpha’s Ivory Shoulder, Tantalus Range, BC
Ski Here Now!
La Grave: A Skier's Journey
Extreme Freeride Stoke!
New Book: 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America
Perfect Moment 2009
La Grave: A Skier's Journey
By:
randosteve
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Posted on: September 27, 2010
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Posted in:
Inspire
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39 comments
This is rather interesting (and different)…check it out!
is that dude really wearing a pink helmet?
I believe pink helmets are mandatory for whistler season pass holders.
A little cheesy perhaps but very well done.
Wow, phenomenal vid. Nice post.
great find, very enjoyable
Um, this mountain has taught me to be a terrain skier? WTF exactly is a terrain skier praytell?
No, I wear a pink helmet and my fund check comes in like clockwork every month. aActually the cinemetography is quite good, its the skiing and commentary that are average and really suck respectively.
yeah cynic…a little cheesy there. kinda like when free-ski mountaineering was deemed a new style of descending a mountain.
VERY VERY GOOD! One of the best stoke posts I’ve seen this season. Thanks.
The shot of the Skier checking out the pastries is perfect, that is a “I want to ditch everything and be that guy right now shot. Also,”Terrain Skier” Comment is well said. ANYONE CAN SKI POWDER, well maybe not Cynic, he seems wrapped up in HATE at the moment.
Cynic Al,
I know you suck at skiing.You probably never been to Europe so you don’t get it ! I spent 10 years skiing in Europe so I get it you idiot.The skiing is on par with the degree of those slopes because we all know you’ve never been to La Grave.If you had you wouldn’t made such a dumb ass comment.Since your such a bad ass skier why don’t you post some footage to show us your stuff Bro!!!!!!!!!!!!
great post steve,i remember joe vallone from chasing him around copper mnt.as a park rat. great guy
Joe is a rock star and an amazing skier. As will said, if you’ve never skied La Grave, or other like minded Euro spots, the term terrain skier will not resonate with you. It’s always best to hide your ignorance if you can. If you have been lucky enough to ski at La Grave specifically, this piece will make your heart sing.
Pundy Sorry you just hit a nerve. The ONLY rock stars in the world are musicians. The rest can be anything you want to call them except rock stars. Of course I’m a musician.
wow, what a beautifully shot piece. here’s a link to part 1. http://vimeo.com/13085385.
Moulton, I’m sorry for offending. I agree that term is completely overused. But, Joe actually is a rock star. He attended music school and plays drums. He’s a fantastic drummer and moonlights for many of the bands that come play La Grave in the winter. What one would call a jack of all trades.
Pundy,
You get it and thanks.Skiing in Europe is 100 different variable conditions every day.Powder , crud, windblow glacial black ice all in one run.I skied LaGrave since 1989 and every valley in France,Switzerland and Italy when I raced in Europe Speed Skiing on the Pro Tour.I was 10 times more scared skiing these exposed runs than racing at Les Arc,Vars,and every Speed Skiing Track in Europe at Speed over 200KPH.Does that idiot Cynic Al know that Doug Coombs died at La Grave.I will be out west this winter for 3 months before I go to Europe.If your out there Cynic Al give me your contact info so we can meet somewhere skiing so I can rip you a new as*******ole.
I’ve got to agree with cynic Al, it’s a very pretty little video and well worth a viewing, but listening to Chad waffle on like Yoda is laughable, and the skiing is nothing special. Sure there’s rad skiing in Europe, but to the legion of insufferable bores who can’t stop frothing about how nothing can compare, there’s a world of skiing adventures to be had out there.
Hey,
Sorry for the aggressive Cynic Al posts.I get made at all the posers that put down evryone’s effort to be creative and have fun and express themselves through art,film and playing in the mountains.I’ve spent my whole life living this dream so I applaud any effort to be a part of this creative force that takes the time to produce such dramatic and heartfelt images that we can wrap our dreams around.
Again I am sorry for my un Zen like rant.I’ll try to keep it to a low growl.Peace.Even to Cynic Al.
Pundy Very cool for Joe, I take any cynisism back completely, rock on.
Wow, it’s been awhile since we’ve had some good, heated commentary here. These got hot pretty quickly thanks to the Cynic. Excellent. Love the “rock star” exchange. Uhh, he IS a rock star. Priceless!
As for the film, shit, the camera work just keeps getting better in these shorties. Good music, awesome terrain. That guy skis freakin’ fast up in the big hills. I agree the commentary is a bit fluffy, mountains talking and all that rot…too romantic for me but that’s just me. On the other hand, the admission of fear hit the nail on the head. Overall, very enjoyable. I look forward to the next installment.
Yeah, this is an awesome exchange. I think that Jordan and Chad made an awesome video here….I figure everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the mountains the way the like whether it be pink helmets, zen, steep scary couloirs, even cynic al can have his retarded approach. Joe V. is beyond reproach in my opinion…what a great guy. Check out this one to see Joe’s patience and great skills pay off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xzlnUftZ9k
And to Stewart and Cynic Al…I don’t think you know what you are talking about if you want to talk down to those who are good at skiing the complex lines in the Alps….you don’t get it.
This is a critical thread and I want to thank Steve for provoking this sort of thoughtful discussion with his "stoke" videos.
God knows that we all need a little "stoke" now and then (except for maybe Will, who appears to be sufficiently "stoked").
How about the rockin’ pastries in that vid? I think that the french pastries, and the french language for that matter, get overlooked as part of the La Grave mystique. Yea, there may be some big lines that will kill you if you sneaze at the wrong time, but lets f’ing face it, its the pastries and the language that really make La Grave what it is and I dare anyone to dispute that? Any takers . . . Cynic Al, Will, Pundy, Dave B.? I didn’t think so.
I have looked at La Grave on Google earth a couple times and I don’t think it looks that bad-as# anyway. But that’s neither here nor there, because skiing is about awesomness (isn’t it Dave B.)?
At the expense of going on about myself, I have skied for the last two and a half years at Killington (aka killing-it-a-ton) and am confident that I could eat one of those pain au chocolates, ride a tram, make a couple comments in french about being a bad-as#, do a petite traverse, then rip a complex line at La Grave — more than likely. But again, this isn’t about me. This is about harmonizing with the mountain and skiing some f’ing terrain the way it was meant to be skied. That’s right, terrain skiing.
Respect.
2 cents…
Joe seems to play percussion on other objects more than the drums these days.
The boulangeries (bakeries) in La Grave are not nearly as good as the skiing.
Also, a question for everybody…does only rad skiing make a video good? La Grave has stuff as rad as anywhere that is not often done and never filmed. The “mellow stuff” here in La Grave is actually what it’s all about, day in day out massive terrain and vertical in every snow condition imaginable (hence the mysterious term of “terrain skiing” AND it’s not always deep blower pow. regardless, it’s just a video 😉
thanks for all the comments. it is just a video…and it’s hard to make something really exciting for the general public w/o making it sound weak to those that are pros in the sport. so…just watch it and enjoy.
i’m here in franz joseph, new zealand right now, packed up and waiting for a heli ride up to the centennial hut. the region has continued to get pounded with precipitation, with a couple meters of new snow over the past few days. fine weather in the forecast though through mid week…so it sounds like we might get a good start once we are there.
wish us luck!
steve
Okay, good luck Steve.
Our thoughts with you as you embark on this important journey to the southern hemisphere to ski lines. Keep the stoke alive.
W. E.
I live, work, and ski (mostly) in Jackson.
I’ve skied in Chamonix, Engleberg, Davos, the Dolomites on various occasions.
I’ve skied throughout the mountain ranges of the western U.S. and Canada-don’t ride the wire much.
The same skill set applies to successfully descending the Grand Teton, or Liberty Ridge, or La Meije or Mt. Blanc or wherever. You gotta be able to go up unless the cable car deposits you at the top, as it does in many places in Europe.
Skiing La Meije does not make you a “terrain skier”, it just means you learned the requisite skill set at that location.
Gratuitous reference to “our return from the Eastern Himalaya” in the opening sequence was the trigger for the trustafarian bullshit alert.
Yes, the skiing is average. If you live in Jackson, or Aspen, or Bozeman, or Tahoe, or C.B. etc. any three dozen of the next 300 folks in the lift line can ski at that level-I make no claims for my own abilities but then I’m not making little dreamy films about gripping traverses that appear to be really not that scary either.
Somebody give Cynic Al a hug …. sounds like he needs one !
I liked it.
since this 2nd episode, the gratuitous reference to the Eastern Himalaya would actually be to the first episode that was shot in eastern himalaya.
since this the 2nd episode, the gratuitous reference to the Eastern Himalaya would actually be to the first episode that was shot in eastern himalaya.
This video makes it okay to be a snobbish closet hipster and a die hard skier. Thank you arcteryx for combining two sides of my obnoxious personality…
I’ve stumbled upon this discussion. I just want to make a couple simple points.
Firstly, this series of 3 webisodes were produced with a more general audience in mind. To the average person, La Grave is not what would come to mind when they think of a place to ski. No ski patrollers, no avalanche control, no ropes; it lacks most of those things we associate with a regular ski resort. For me, it is the dichotomy between riding a lift (thinking we’re at a resort) and being free/forced to make the decisions that makes it such an interesting place. Is it the gnarliest place in the world, or the only of it’s kind? No, of course not.
I tried to approach this episode from an honest stand point of what I experienced in La Grave. Most of the runs aren’t that technical, though they are very long, and they make you a better skier, if you want to be. What it lacks in good snow conditions, it makes up for in vertical. It all depends on your preference of how you like to ski. I know I improve every time I go. Occasionally though, there are moments that really challenge you mentally. I tried to show that with the traverse scene.
The intended meaning wasn’t to say what type of skiing is better, or gnarlier, or more ‘badass’. Just to show something maybe a little different, dive into the place a little more than perhaps the average ski flick has the time, or mandate for.
Lastly, thanks for checking it out, the next episode will be out next Monday.
-Jordan
I think that given it’s only 11 or so minutes it does a great job of capturing the feel of the place along with a couple of the people they met there. Joe’s all serious in this segment, but he’s a goofball most of the time. It’s too bad, and of course, I know why, but it seems any La Grave video has to be all serious and somber.
this may be repiticious: can’t believe you are not sking yet! seems as if thee good weather is 2-3 weeks behind.have you haerd from any other nuclear family mambers?
Stay safe.
Rando Dad
hey pops! i got a text from mom and i sent you an email. have had five sunny days of skiing so far…quite a surprise.
jordan…thanks for dropping by. i’ve seen and admired your work while at the kooteney powderfest.
it’s hard to please everyone and the experts will always be critical. believe me…i get my fair share right where it hurts sometimes. keep your chin up and keep producing good stoke…we really do like it!!!
It’s bizillions of times better than the phony-gangsteresque drivel of mainstream ski films and skiers therein. Inaccesible fantasy heli-skiing gets boring quickly for me, so I really appreciate a dose of reality skiing, like seeing some other tracks in the shots and skiing in places where the unsponsored can access. I loved it, right on Jordan.
Some “rednecks” just can’t take things spoken from the heart because theirs is not open, nor do they have the IQ to digest conceptually based discourse to distinguish between what is actually hollow drivel or not. Society is trained these days to disdain the pure and spiritual side of things.
Ptor….So you are sayin some rednecks do not have heart? And they are dumb? What do you think of the other rednecks? The video is pretty good!
Yes Mike, I apologize for inserting “rednecks” haphazardly. I should have just said “people”. Many “rednecks” have heart and are not dumb. Sometime getting called a “hippie” when I am actually a “rocker” gets to me and I lower myself to the same level by using stupid stereotypes. Regardless, the video is awesome and Joe is Joe.
Wow, so much emotion over a video about sliding over snow in the mountains.
Maybe try to enjoy it and not get your blood in a boil, you might live a day longer for it and enjoy another day of skiing for it.
The skiing in La Grave may not be so amazing, if your not into mogul skiing…
But the touring around La Grave (Ecrins National Park) is insane with some of the alps most classic lines!
http://www.skitour.fr/topos/dernieres-sorties.php?tri=dif_ski
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0_N4Zh7m4Y