This years rail event was as spectacular as ever. More rails, more lines, a bowl and a great view. Here are come clips from the men’s rail snowboard competition held in Golden Peak at Vail Resorts. $134,000 in cash prizes were awarded.
Men’s Top Rail Winners
Chas Guldemond $6,500
Scotty Arnold $5,000
Scot Brown $3,500
Charles Reid $2,250
Wyatt Caldwell $1,500
Marko Girlc $1,000
Tim Humphreys $1,000
TJ Schneider $1,000
Thousands of snowboarders and skiers shred Vail mountain every day. On the weekends you can expect the folks from Denver to make the two-hour trip up if the weatherman says a storm is coming. And the holidays are prime for vacationers from everywhere.
Now Vail is huge, the biggest resort in the United States with more than 5,000 acres of rideable terrain. Even when the lift lines are long, you can always find great turns somewhere. Well, most locals in Vail go the extra mile for the fresh tracks.
Welcome to West Vail. West Vail is a popular area for locals to go when they want to shred the powder. You do leave the resort when going into West Vail, and it is all trees, but you can find some epic powder turns in there almost always.
Snowboarding West Vail brings you out to Vail’s Matterhorn area, located just west of Lionshead. You are required to take the free intown bus back, but if you time it right you don’t have to wait long. Today our crew did about four laps through West Vail trees before 2 o’clock.
If you want to snowboard or ski through West Vail Trees, you better find a local. This area can be tricky to navigate and is not on any trail map. You won’t find any super steep sections, however there are a few steeper lines you can find. Also, it’s best to travel as a small group and be ready for an adventure.
I plan to assemble some video clips of West Vail trees shot today very soon. Until then enjoy this video from last month.
I just spent two days with some of Vail’s youngest and finest snowboarders. Ten boys and girls from Sandstone School in Vail, CO. These 2nd through 5th graders have been snowboarding for only 2-4 years, but they rip.
All these kids love freestyle, log slides and jibbing anything. We spent day one lapping a log line through the trees to the Bwana Terrain Park in Lionshead at the bottom of the gondola.
Emma is 8 years old and her sister Ella is 5 years old. This is Emma’s second years snowboarding, and Ella’s first. Here we are on Chair 15 at Vail Resorts, Vail, CO.
Thanks girls for such a good time. Keep up the good work.
Click the video below to watch the girls in action.
Charlie Clarke, Vail Snowboard Instructor of 15 years, and American Association of Snowboard Instructors Rocky Mountain Examiner provides tips on how to snowboard better in the powder at Vail Resorts.
What a rush during the holiday season. I was in Telluride for the Christmas holiday with some clients and good friends. We snowboarder for a bunch of days and it was awesome.
Telluride, for those that don’t know has some gnarly steeps. They recently opened up some hikeable terrain off chair 12, Prospect Bowl, black and double black diamond ski & snowboard runs. I was not able to get up there this time, but It looked sweet.
I was surprised my the grooming at Telluride. They actually have grooming, and to be honest, besides dipping into some trees, the steep groomers were great to carve down. Favorite is Plunge off chair 9.
While you are at the top of chair 9, a fixed grip triple, you can’t avoid the views. I will post some video soon. You really get the boxed canyon feeling of Telluride up there. One day it was about 5 degrees, and we stopped into Giuseppe’s, a very cozy warming hut for hot chocolate. I highly recommend, and hear it’s very cool place to be in the spring.
I rode with the Sargent Family, including Garrett who is 9, his brother Harry, 25 and girlfriend Morgan, 24. Mom Deborah, also joined us on the warmer days. We had a blast. Garrett stepped up to a new board, Shawn White kid’s model at 126cm. After 4 years of snowboarding, Garrett quickly got used to the snappy response of the board.
Harry began to stomp all his straight airs in the beginner park, and even nailed the first kicker in the intermediate area. I got video to prove it. Morgan too improved here airs, and Garrett is going bigger than ever. Deborah also is refining her skiing edge work on the back groomers!
Not only is Telluride known for the skiing and snowboarding, but it has great restaurants too. I really like Hongas for sushi, The Blue Room and Chop House for juicy steaks, Baked in Telluride for all things breakfast, and Bar Noir for cocktails.
Thanks to the Sargeants for the hospitality. You are awesome. Be well and snowboard with you soon.
