The 2014 Redbull Rampage had all the makings of a stellar event; an all-new venue, a roster of top athletes, and a budget from a company that sends people to space. However, Mother Nature had other plans. Teams began showing up in Virgin, Utah over a week ago to start construction on the lines that…
Author: Patroller Z
The Snowbird Freeride World Tour comp that almost wasn’t
During the throws of a powerful winter storm in March, the top riders from around the globe gathered in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah to test their might against the formidable steeps of Little Cottonwood Canyon. After an abysmal snow year in the Sierras, the fourth stop of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The…
The Patroller Z Chronicles: Abundance
Wow, it has been a while since my last post. In the world of a ski patroller, days blend into weeks and weeks into over a month. The storms piled up the snow in December and we finished off with just about 100 inches of the white stuff. During that time I feel that I…
The Patroller Z Chronicles: The Big Push
The jetstream has finally dropped and Utah is squarely in the sights of the storm machine. Nearly a week of snowfall has prompted our team to make a push to open more terrain. “It’s snowing out there and it is time to get in the game,” says our Winter Operations Director. His sentiment is well…
The Patroller Z Chronicles: Getting High (Pressure)
The current storm not withstanding, we have been in the doldrums. Lack of snowfall and prolonged high pressure has left us with plenty of time on our hands. Keeping busy skiing the same runs over and over, most of us had tried every line variation possible. Acres of terrain remained closed and it becomes a…
The Patroller Z Chronicles: Opening Weekend
There is something special about the opening day at your home mountain. “How was your summer?” is often the question of the day and it is reminiscent of the first day of school. Catching up with your pals and showing off your latest threads is exciting. Standing in the lift line, the anticipation is tangible….
The Patroller Z Chronicles: Instant Winter
Prologue: Instant winter. A furious and prolonged storm has descended upon our Range. Snowfall totals cresting 50” have been reported in favored terrain and riding conditions have proven excellent over the last five days. Locals from around the valley are preparing for their season and Facebook is about to implode from all the powdery footage….