On March 1, the Freeskiing community lost a very respected and well-loved skier. Sadly Ryan Hawks passed away after a tragic accident at the Kirkwood Freeskiing World Tour competition. Ryan was a fellow Vermonter, as well as member of the Blizzard/Tecnica crew. He was one of those guys that just absolutely loved life and skiing, and always put a smile on your face. He will be greatly missed, but his passion for skiing and life will most definitely live on.
After Ryan’s accident I was a bit shaken up and had to make some decisions. After some hard contemplation, I decided to take the rest of the season off from competing. Instead I shifted my focus towards photography and filming. This season, I landed my first filming stint with Futuristic Films. I spent a few days filming with the crew in Utah and then later filmed in my hometown of Aspen. As I learned, filming isn’t all the glory you see in the movies. You have to work your ass off for those turns and the weather doesn’t always cooperate. We were out in the backcountry for 12-hour days, and boy was I beat. But I think our work will really pay off and I can’t wait to see the final product, which should debut in the fall, entitled, “Our Backyards.”
So now as the season winds down, I have been able to spend some much needed time at home, skiing the four mountains and backcountry in my backyard. And just when you think spring is approaching, the snow gods come through, and send us some much-welcomed storms. Within the last week and a half, I have had three absolutely amazing powder days. In fact I had what might have been the best day of the season at Highlands last week...can you say endless face-shots, and free refills all day? Sooooo much fun.
But wait! Ski season is NOT over!!! Next week I am headed to Chamonix! I am so ecstatic; it should be a great time. I have only skied a few glaciers in Europe in the summer, so to actually ski Cham in winter...I couldn’t ask for a better trip!
Here are a few pics from some recent adventures….
Pillows anyone?
The 3 Marmot girls...Pip, Me, and Darcy
