Anna Segal

Good Days, Bad Days

2012-01-15T12:51:00.002-07:00

For me skiing is an emotional roller coaster. It brings me to the highest highs, but this sport also has the ability to bring me pretty damn low. Yesterday morning started our beautifully. We were out the door at 8am with a delicious coffee and bagel to go. We unloaded the lift at Keystone to find an absolutely perfect park, almost deserted and lit up by the warming sun.

I was in a great head space- skiing solidly, warming up for a few new tricks I wanted to work on and generally feeling stoked. This feeling lasted until a minor mistake on one of the jumps had me clutching my hand and sprawled across the snow in pain.

After waiting for two hours at ski patrol, I discovered the cause......

A broken and displaced metacarpal bone. Definitely my best looking break yet! On top of that I'd done a mild tweak to my knee, which I was far more worried about than my hand. I was told surgery on my thumb was a must, but it would be unlikely that I would be able to get in over the next few days as it was Martin Luther King weekend- a public holiday in the US.

A sorry site

Luckily I have an amazing friend, who made a few calls and was able to get me into the best hand surgeon in the area, that afternoon! Before I knew it, I was on the operating table being injected with general anaesthetic and getting mentally prepared to go under the knife.

Surgery went smooth as butter. I awoke from my anaesthetic, talked some smack to the nurses, but within an hour was back down to earth and ready to leave the hospital.

Yesterday was not a good day for me. But shit happens and in light of my friends who have sustained far worse injuries than me over the last week, I'm considering myself extremely lucky.

Many thanks to all my good friends, especially Elana and Tori, who helped me get through a tough day.

Shit Skiers Say

2012-01-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

AUSTRALIA-THE WONDEROUS PARADOX

2012-01-09T21:07:00.010-07:00

Note from the author:

This piece originated after a conversation with a friend about how different countries and races perceive themselves. After this, I began to think about how Australians see themselves. I came to the conclusion, that there exists a paradox of self perception in the Australian culture. It may appear to the casual glance that this piece is racist. Exactly the opposite. I intend to highlight the different perspectives held by some people. Some of these are ugly, but real. The true message comes in the last verse.

AUSTRALIA-THE WONDEROUS PARADOX:-AUSSIE DREAMING:

I stand a here a thinking ‘bout this wonderous place called Oz

A land of milk and honey and I wonder - well because

There's something just a naggin - that just don’t sit all right

‘bout what we think and what we are - that makes me all uptight.

We’re friends and mates and cobbers, all equal through and through

And nothing stands between us, we Aussies are true blue

Our mateship forged from battle, privation, flood and storm

Is the glue that binds the nation, to us it is the norm.

From convict roots and battlers, we formed an esprit de corp

That all of us is equal - what could you want for more.

Any uppish bugger trying to put on side

Is promptly cut to equal - tall poppies cannot hide

But hang on wait a minute there’s something just amiss

What about those bloody abbos going on the piss

And all the smoke and fracas ‘bout them wanting back the land

That our forefathers nutured onto us to hand

I rekon barley charley they don’t know they’re well off

We given them the pension, compo and time off

And while I'm on the subject, the Refo’s come to mind

Comin' here to pillage jobs, those fellas aren't our kind

Who needs the bloody agro, the stress and all the fuss

Of all these bloody strangers that do not look like us

We rekon that equality denotes our place earth

A land of equal fortune from Brisbane through to Perth

But what about the cobbers, mates and friends alike

That we rekon stamp our country as our guiding light

I rekon there’s a paradox - we don’t know who we are

A country looking for its soul - but missed the mark by far.

- Anonymous

Something a little lighter......

Pow and Football

2012-01-08T19:29:00.003-07:00

Got my first pow turns of the season this morning- which is a little crazy since it's already January. But something is better than nothing.

One of the perks of being on the Breck team is the early morning shoots which we sometimes get asked to do on a pow day. This morning was a little different from the usual. We were asked to dress up in Denver Bronco jerseys and express our love of Tebow (Denver's new star quarter back) so the footage could be used on the big screen at the Bronco's game tonight against the Steelers. Here's what we got.

Flume

2012-01-01T17:33:00.001-07:00

Some relaxing beats for New Year's night

Flume - Sleepless ft. Anthony For Cleopatra by Flume

Flume - Over You ft. Anthony For Cleopatra by Flume

Photo of the Week

2011-12-30T19:03:00.003-07:00

I've never had a photo of the week before. I'm not even sure if this photo was taken this week. I lose track of time when I start skiing. Ski-town-bubble syndrome. But I like this photo and it was taken some time recently. So it is now the photo of the week.

Pavlova

2011-12-24T17:29:00.004-07:00

The pavlova is a legendary dessert which was created in honour of the famous ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova, when she toured Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. It has long been a contested issue which down under country can truly claim the pavlova as its own. All I know is the best pavlovas I have ever tasted have been made by Aussies.

Anyways, this Christmas eve I was invited over to the Scandinavian house for a feast. I wanted to add a touch of Aus to the dinner so promised I would bring an amazing Australian pavlova. Then I remembered I would be baking at 10,000ft. Even the best cooks have trouble getting their pavlovas to rise and that's at sea level. As for me.... I've never even successfully cooked a sponge cake at Breckenridge altitude. Luckily I found this bomb recipe which saved the day.

http://kiwibyrds.blogspot.com/2007/08/pavlova.html

Just Jew It

2011-12-21T16:20:00.003-07:00

Being a Jew myself, I was very stoked to see this little guy standing at the top of the jump line in Breck today. After discussing our common ties, he told me that I could buy my own sweater at www.justjewit.com. Good to know.

Early Chrissy presents

2011-12-20T20:58:00.003-07:00

Thanks to Bolle for my pretty christmas presents!

BEing

2011-12-16T07:54:00.002-07:00

I'm sure every kid in the freeski industry has already watched this edit multiple times, but for all those that haven't, check it out. Henrik Harlaut and Phil Casabon are two of the most innovative, stylish and talented park skiers out there. Usually I haven't even imagined half the shit they do on skis before I see it on the internet, let alone consider trying it.

Backflips

2011-12-15T19:39:00.002-07:00

Photo- Ananda van Welij

Word Up

2011-12-13T19:49:00.003-07:00

I don't know how old I was when this song came out, but I heard it on the radio a couple years ago and instantly loved it. I added it to a bunch of my playlists and sang along to it full blast with my little sister nat on many aussie roadtrips to the mountains. Nat and I only just discovered the film clip...... ummm what can I say. It's a mixture of Michael Jackson dance moves, Madonna type costumes and soft porn. You gotta watch it for yourself. It has added a whole new depth to the lyrics for me.

Copper Shoot

2011-12-11T10:21:00.003-07:00

After the Pink Chase the K2 crew stayed in town for a product shoot at Copper mountain. I had three real fun days of shooting along side Maria Bagge from Sweden and for the last day, three of the boys from Stept; Clayton Vila, Sean Jordan and Cam Riley, plus Brita Sigourney.

Maria, Brit and I showing off next year's skis

Cam, looking like a muppet.

End of a long day shooting

Team dinner!

K2 Pink Chase

2011-12-05T10:02:00.004-07:00

After a one year hiatus the K2 Pink Chase fundraiser returned to Keystone Resort last Saturday. The Pink Chase consists of a dress up party, team scavenger hunt and race to log vertical miles, with all the money raised donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The ladies did not disappoint with their costumes. There was pink flying all round the mountain, which not only entertained the other guests, but also created awareness for the event and it's cause.

K2 set up tents all over the mountain with challenges which could earn teams points. I failed the first challenge. Hula Hooping with ski clothes on is harder than it seems.

I then attempted the Jones Soda Challenge but failed at this one too. Lucky for those competing I wasn't on any of the teams.

After spending 6 hours out in cold December conditions the day was finished off with the Pink Chase after party. While waiting for the team results K2's infamous team manager, Mike Powell, entertained the crowd with his hula hooping talents. Little was he to know that a young gun from the crowd would take the stage beside to show up his skills.

Then there were the winners. These chicas tallied the most points throughout a day of challenges and each won themselves a K2 skis set up of their choice.

Thanks to K2 for a fun day on the hill and also for dedicating their time and efforts towards fundraising for women's health.

Colorado living

2011-12-03T22:51:00.003-07:00

Look what I have to deal with on a daily basis. Kim has posted her bed right in the middle of our living room and Davina..... thinks she's a cat!

There's never a dull moment in our little Breckenridge apartment.

New Tunes

2011-11-29T21:50:00.002-07:00

My roomie Davina recently introduced me to Crystal Fighters and their album Star of Love has been on repeat on my ipod ever since. It's the perfect music to ski to, so if you're looking for some new tunes for this Winter (or Summer in Aus) check this band out.

Two of my favourite songs....

I Do This Everyday by Crystal Fighters

At Home by Crystal Fighters

Keystone early season

2011-11-27T15:44:00.003-07:00

Today was my first full day back in the park in CO. The weather was warm and the skies were blue bird. It was the perfect day to get my skiing legs back.

Keystone has a pretty sweet set up for this early in the season with a full rail line on skier's right and a medium triple jump line, to rail section on the left.

Emelia Wint and I. Smiles all round.

Although everything was in great condition, after three hours of hitting hard landings my body was done for the day. I need to pace myself as the forecast is looking perfect for the next three days!

Bossing up

2011-11-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Love her or hate her, Nicki is a Boss!

Sydney Part 1

2011-11-20T02:46:00.009-07:00

Before flying over to 5 months of winter, I'm doing a five day stint in Sydney for a little relax time and also to work with Anthony Khoury, the Skiing Australia trampoline coach.

Straight after touching down, I made a quick visit to the Gallery of NSW, where my cousin, Kathy Temin's, artwork was on display.

Her piece titled My Monument: Black Garden, was creepy but enchanting. It reminded me of something you would see in a children's story book or from the old Disney movie Fantasia.

Next up was drinks on the roof top of the Intercontinental hotel, with a view that my iphone couldn't do justice.

The following day revolved around 'back to snow' fitness testing at NSWIS followed by a solid weights session out at Homebush (the sports district in Sydney where the 2000 Olympics were held).

Davina, getting gymmie

I've got three more days in Sydney and a heap more to fit in before leaving to the US.

It'll fit!

2011-11-15T15:20:00.002-07:00

Onra Chinoiseries Pt. 2

2011-11-12T15:18:00.002-07:00

I heard this guy play a set on Triple J last Friday afternoon. I'm loving the beats from his new album

Chinoiseries Pt. 2......

Check em out

A New Dynasty by Onra

No Matter What by Onra

Lilydale

2011-11-10T02:34:00.003-07:00

Many people have the impression that the life of a skier is all furry earmuffs, stretch prada pants and apres schnapps. But for all these benefits we have to put in a few hours of hard work here and there. For me this hard work is intensified just before the Northern hemisphere winter begins. Primarily out at a leach infested pond in an area affectionately known as Lilydale.

I de-robe from minx fur jacket, step out of my gold encrusted moonboots and suit up into my water ramping gear, which includes a wetsuit, second hand mouldy ski boots and a bright yellow life vest (just in case I go into shock from swallowing too many duck turds and start drowning).

Yaaaaay. Straight air! I've done more of those over the last week than I care to think about. But they're all little steps towards a bigger goal.

Can't wait to be jumping back on snow again :)

Boo- the cutest dog in the world

2011-10-10T02:35:00.006-06:00

This is Boo. The cutest dog in the world. That is a grand title, but I think he is deserving. This puppy has over two million face-book friends, has been on Good Morning America and even has his own book.

Pretty damn cute. I think I'm in love.

BMX Manoeuvres

2011-10-08T17:05:00.006-06:00

Every time I board an overseas flight I have hope that I'll meet someone interesting on the plane. However every flight I'm disappointed. Except for this one time.... I met Steve Mccann- pro BMX biker extraordinaire. Swap the skis for a bike and winter for summer and he pretty much does what I do. Plus he's from my hometown Melbourne.

I haven't seen Steve for a while as we're on opposite seasons in the US, but I've kept track of his career. Check out some of this footage of him at The Summer Dew Tour in Salt Lake City this year.

Now that you're impressed by this guy's crazy manoeuvres, you should go vote for Steve to win the Playstation Pro moment - http://www.allisports.com/dew-tour/partner/playstation

Closing Day at TC

2011-10-05T02:48:00.006-06:00

Despite having been a regular visitor to Wanaka, NZ over the past 5 years, I had never experienced skiing at Treble Cone. That is, until closing day 2011. I may have missed out on mid winter snow conditions, but this was made up for by sunny skies, beautiful views and one of the best days people watching I've ever experienced. Local Wanaka girl Tori Beattie was my guide, and a good looking one at that. I was a little under dressed when she picked me up in the morning, but with Tori's help I assembled an outfit Suzy Chaffee would have been envious of.

Tori doing her thing

I soon discovered that closing day wasn't so much about the skiing, but about what you were skiing in. I saw a bunny, penguins, scuba steve, girls in bikinis, boys in bikinis, a snow-cat transformer and even a girl in a toilet bowl.

I was pretty distracted, but I did manage to get some skiing in. In exchange for a tummy rub I coaxed the strange bunny into hiking up TC's summit and then persuaded it to pose for a picture with me.

The more I hung around with the locals, the more game I became. I decided to join in their last chairlift lap... I knew it would be fast, but I didn't know we would be skiing on more grass than snow. Good fun, but my ski bases are now trashed.

We finished the day with drinks on the deck, good beats and a live performance from the groms. These kids danced on the table for nearly an hour and did it like it was their job. The guy in the Hawaiian shirt was definitely professionally trained.

NZ Tripping

2011-09-27T21:47:00.004-06:00

The dicey access roads, which must be driven every morning and afternoon to make it to the New Zealand snow fields, are infamous across the skiing world. Some find the drive tedious, but I've always found it a great time to meet new friends (especially when you're scamming lifts) or to get to know old ones better.

The drive usually goes something like this....

Stack as many people, boards, skis, poles, bags and boots in the car as possible. Petrol is expensive in NZ, so you gotta be thrifty.

Enjoy the great view and morning sunshine on the ride up.

If you can hold the camera still while the car struggles over potholes and around switchback turns, take a few pictures.

Then meet up with your ski buddies in car park.

Good times.

And the Weather....

2011-09-26T03:44:00.002-06:00

I had an interview with Melbourne's infamous weather girl, Emma Freedman, up at Thredbo a couple weeks ago. I guess it didn't make the cut, but Channel 9's Today Show included a few shots of me jumping. Thanks guys.

If you don't feel like watching last week's weather, skip to 1:46.

One Hit Wonder Edit

2011-09-22T07:10:00.000-06:00

Toyota One Hit Wonder

2011-09-13T03:05:00.002-06:00

This jump was huge... 95ft from the lip to knuckle. After over shooting the landing a couple of times while following one of the boys into the jump, I was spooked.

I finally found the guts to figure out my own speed and by the end of the first day I started getting comfy spinning a few 3s over it. Here's a nice piccy someone shot.

For a more in-depth account on the event click here. You can also check out all the riders' best tricks at http://www.onehitwonderevent.com/vote-win/. Apparently you go into the draw to win a $12k ski trip to Japan if you vote. Not bad!

Daily Telegraph

2011-09-02T15:54:00.004-06:00

I'll be heading up to Thredbo ski resort on Monday for the Toyota One Hit Wonder Down Under event, which will be running all week. The jump is apparently 95 feet, which is huge by my standards. I'm really excited, but also a little intimidated and nervous. I'll be the only girl hitting the jump with a crew of the best male free-skiers in the world. In the past when I've hit big jumps I've had at least one girl with me (usually Keri Herman). Next week is going to test,but if I can get past the intimidation factor I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

2011-09-02T00:57:00.000-06:00

Queenstown Snow Cats

2011-08-29T04:10:00.012-06:00

This was definitely the funnest day of my Southern Hemi Winter so far. With such a rad crew, I knew it would be a blast no matter what. Rachael Oakes-Ash, aka Miss Snow it All from the Sydney Morning Herald was there to document our adventure, with Camilla Stoddart taking photos and Jase Hancox logging all the action on film.

The trip was based around two sets of sisters aiming large in the snow industry; Nat and myself from Australia and Janina and Maria Kuzman from NZ.

We met the Queenstown Snow Cats team, located in Kingston, 40 minutes out of Queenstown early in the a.m. to run through safety briefings and our schedule. We were then surprised with a heli ride up to our stomping ground for the day- obviously this was not your usual cat skiing operation.

Once we were up in the mountains it was time to play! We spent the day jumping off stuff, scoping lines and generally just shredding the gnar.

Before we knew it, we were being ushered back into the heli and flown back to reality.

Such an epic day with a bunch of inspirational people. Much love to Queenstown Snow Cats and Rachael Oakes Ash for putting this all together. For the full story on the day, stand by for the northern season mags and Channel Nine in Australia (July 2012) for the one hour TV snow special.

Good Weekend Article

2011-08-27T14:27:00.002-06:00

My mum and I did the interview for the '2 of Us' article about 2 months ago, but it was only just published yesterday in the Saturday Age's Good Weekend magazine. We met with one of the Age journalists at my mum's house and we were both interviewed separately for a good 45 minutes. I think the article came out pretty well, my picture... mmm maybe not so well. If you still have the Saturday Age lying round at home, check it :)

SoO 2011

2011-08-25T15:24:00.002-06:00

Next week, the best Australian skiers and snowboarders will make their way to Mt. Buller to represent their state in the State of Origin of snowsports- SoO Airtime. The industry's brightest young filmers and photographers wil be there to capture all 5 days of smiles, slashes and air. Two short films will be posted online, 10th, September, where the public can vote for their favourite.

Mt. Buller park crew are working closely with the boys to create some unique features for the week.

Riders were selected based on their creative ride style and the teams have been narrowed down to comprise of the finest shredders in the country. The teams include....

Team Vic

- Harry Webster (film)

- Charlie Ford (film)

- John Waddell (film)

- Joey Corcoran (photo)

- Charlie Payne (phoyo)

- Watkin McLennan (ski)

- Amdre Bennett (ski)

- Nick Breheny (ski)

- Conrad Lucas (ski)

- Olly Cain (ski)

- Chris de Campo (sb)

- Jackson Allen (sb)

- Tom Pelley (sb)

Team NSW

- Lucas Wilkinson (film)

- Alex Cameron (film)

- Nick Parkinson (photo)

- Boen Feurguson (ski)

- Chris Booth (ski)

- Dhanu Sherpa (ski)

- Jordan Houghton (ski)

- Huw Dowdall (ski)

- Jake McCarthy (sb)

- Jye Kearney (sb)

- Tom Reilly (sb)

I'm going to head up to Buller next Thursday night to see what the boys have put together. Looking forward to seeing some crazy stunts!

For any enquiries contact:

Watkin McLennan

SoO Airtime Director/Co-founder

e: watkinmclennan@gmail.com

Finally NZ!

2011-08-25T15:05:00.004-06:00

After messing up my footsie in Park City last month, I thought my Southern season had come to an end. I had resigned myself to a cold, boring Melbourne winter filled with university and monotonous gym sessions. But things changed! My foot started to heal up quickly and before I knew it I was doing weekend warrior trips to ski resorts all over Aus.

To top it off, Rachael Oakes-Ash invited me on a cat skiing trip over in NZ. So here I am. Back at my favourite kiwi family's house, the Sheehan residence, and about to head up to Snowpark for some fun laps with old friends.

I arrived at Queenstown airport yesterday, completely disorganised. I hadn't booked a shuttle, my phone didn't work and I steam was about to start shooting from my ears. Then out of no-where popped my amazing friend Amy, who's appearance took all my troubles away.

Yay Amy! You're da best

We cruised into Queenstown for a spot of lunch with the girls, past Quicksilver to pick up some new Roxy outerwear for me (Thanks Roxy!) and then up over the Crown range to beautiful Wanaka. Good times.

Thredbo

2011-08-17T21:21:00.004-06:00

Last weekend I made the 6 1/2 hour road trip up to Thredbo for an all day Chicks with Stix coaching session. It was worth it. We had sunny skies, a great crew of girls and the park was prime. Plus I started hitting jumps again, which was icing on the cake.

Tomorrow I'll be heading back up to NSW for another CWS session at Perisher. Can't wait to get back on my skis. The weekend couldn't have come sooner.

Nat Kills it at Heli Challenge

2011-08-08T06:40:00.002-06:00

I can't believe how hard my little sister charged at this year's heli challenge!! She took a tumble on both runs, but I think that her progressive and balls to the wall skiing deserves some attention.

Go to the World Heli Challenge People's Choice page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/2011-World-Heli-Challenge-Peoples-Choice-Voting-Open-Now/128853090541568and

and vote for Nat Segal under best female skier! yewwww.

To Baw Baw and Beyond

2011-08-05T22:14:00.007-06:00

Two and a half hours East of Melbourne lies the small but charismatic Mt. Baw Baw (like paw paw, with a B). Although often forgotten when talk of Australian alpine resorts is raised, Baw Baw has a charm which the other big players seem to have lost. I imagine it would resemble skiing at Mt. Buller/Mt. Hotham or Falls Creek 50 years ago. All the staff know each other, not just by name, but also by personality.

This was the setting for my first Chicks with Stix road trip of the year. Usually I'm in New Zealand at this time of year, training or competing. But a recent foot injury has grounded me for the Southern winter, giving me a chance to rediscover what Aussie skiing is all about.

At times, it's about roughing it.

After a winding drive through beautiful sub tropical rainforest (which almost had Ali spewing up her Subway), we pulled up into Baw Baw's village late Thursday night. Reluctant to move from keeping his one and only customer happy, the bar man made a gesture which meant we were to find our own room.

Inside we found snowboard coach Hannah Studd and friend curled up in their thin sleeping bags, attempting to keep warm. After convincing the bar man to let us off from renting, yes renting, pillows for the night, Zoe, Ali and I were soon to join them.

After the horrors of dorm style accommodation were passed, it was time for me to be reminded of the fun that small Australian ski resorts can offer. Arriving to a group of keen bean girls, excited to ski together and learn, instantly made me forget about my bad nights sleep.

Zoe immediately got down to business, exchanging names and stories and explaining what Chicks with Stix is all about.

The morning was jam packed with working on switch skiing , 180s and conquering all the boxes that Baw Baw's park had to offer.

After a delicious lunch at Kelly's (were I found a rad Ned Kelly mask), we were back to it. By the end of the day, all the girls had learnt how to slide the boxes sideways and a couple of them were even popping off them to switch! Talk about progression.

After a full day of skiing, it was time to say good-bye. But not without awarding some prizes first. Bec won a pair of limited edition Leanne Pelosi Dragon goggles, for improving the most throughout the session, plus demonstrating unrelenting determination. Emily then took out the best trick award for her mastery of learning edge control (scissoring) on the flat down box. Check her skills out below.

Thanks so much to Mt. Baw Baw for having us and to all the girls who showed up and made us proud. Next stop for Chicks with Stix is Thredbo, next Saturday 13th August. Hope to see you there!

Seattle Sites

2011-07-26T06:32:00.003-06:00

After three days straight of watching the rain wash away our hopes of Summer, I decided it was time to change things up. Seattle is only three and a half hours away from Mt. Hood and a couple of the K2 employees were heading back that way after a weekend of skiing. Half an hour before they left I decided I was going to jump in the car with them and adventure to Seattle . One of the best decisions of my trip!

My little high school friend, Alex De Roco, called up his Mum and asked if I could crash at their place. The De Roco family welcomed me with open arms, a glass of wine and a stunning view of Lake Washington.

The next morning I tagged along with Alex to his Summer job- pressing skis at the K2 headquarters. My favourite place to hang out at K2 became the marketing offices. I watched artist Ryan Schmies working on his infamous creepy ski illustrations, marketing co-ordinator Andrew Thomas organising next year's Pink Chase event and Jake, the social media co-ordinator (aka facebook guy) piecing together an array of product videos for the website.

Schmies gets a little crazy sometimes

After doing a sufficient amount of prowling around the offices it was time to explore the city. Right around the corner from K2 I found the international Starbucks headquarters. The riot act got read to me after trying to take a photo while ordering a coffee. This left me thoroughly unimpressed with their customer service- the only thing they had going for them in the first place.

Not the happy place I imagined

I cruised through downtown's Pioneer Square to find that guerilla knitting has now become a legit art form. Pretty cool.

Along with sticking gum on a wall......

I wandered through the famous Pike Place Market.

And watched the ferries cruise back and forward between the numerous islands.

After finishing at their desks, my local Seattle friends took me to Capital Hill, the kinda hipstery part of town. It reminded me a lot of Fitzroy in Melbourne. There was even a restaurant named Bimbos, but rather than serving pizza, like it's Melbourne counterpart, Bimbos Seattle served lethal margaritas with a side of food. Conveniently the twilight zone of Cha Cha's bar was located just down the stairs.

By this point luckily I had my camera to act as my memory.

Oregon Coast

2011-07-19T10:51:00.002-06:00

Surfing probably wasn't the best thing for my ankle, but getting some fresh ocean air was good for my mind.

Photos compliments of Darcy Bacha

Full moon

2011-07-15T20:27:00.006-06:00

Full moon through the window.

Midnight hike up Ski Bowl, to get a better view of Mt. Hood in the moonlight.

Then moved our mattresses to the deck to sleep under the stars.

Friends + a Photo Booth

2011-07-14T09:42:00.001-06:00

Flat Water Surfing

2011-07-12T15:55:00.005-06:00

It's not like I go to Mt. Hood to ski! I fly half way across the world to surf the secret break at Trillium Lake. Hmmm, not quite. The setting is beautiful, but it doesn't exactly motivate you to dive into this frigid body of water located just out side of Government Camp. Especially when there isn't a wave in site.

The last 8 days I've been posted up on the couch with a sprained ankle. If it hadn't been for these daily paddle sessions, I would have turned into a fruit loop. Bracher, the K2 house manager for the Summer, has also messed up his ankle, so together we have been hitting the lake in an effort to tire out our bodies for the rest of the day. Rain, hail or shine, we're dedicated to our paddling.

There's always a friendly fisherman or two to have a chat with on the way and cute little duckies to admire.

At times our friendly paddle becomes competitive. Today we did a 2er (two times up and back) during which Bracher became determined to beat me. I wasn't having it. With the ducks cheering from the side line, I put my head down, grit my teeth and paddled my way to victory!!

Winner.

So yeh, cabin fever is getting to me a little. But the ankle is coming along and I'm hoping to get out for a mellow ski over the next few days.

One Hit Wonder- The Show!

2011-07-11T20:04:00.002-06:00

If you're lucky enough to live in Australia, I highly reccommend that on the 24th July, you tune your TVs to channel 9 at 2pm and you'll be able to catch this epic show. It's a rare opportunity to catch mainstream coverage about Australian freeskiing and snowboarding. I've got a few shots in there, so.... check it out!

The Show. Coming 24th July to Channel Nine. from One Hit Wonder Event on Vimeo.

Windells crashes video

2011-07-10T17:48:00.002-06:00

Pretty hilarious. A whole edit on crashes in Session 3 at Windells this year. I even got a shot in there at 2:05.

Session 3, 2011: Crashes from Windells on Vimeo.

Sochi 2014. It's Going to be One Crazy Rollercoaster

2011-07-08T13:41:00.008-06:00

My blogs have been a little inconsistent of late. Last week I spilled a whole glass of water over my mac book. It didn't react well and is currently still in a coma. Luckily I have nice friends who are lending me their laptops to keep things updated.

The last week has been a bit of a roller coaster ride from me. After finishing the last day on snow for Windells session 3, I booked it down to the Portland airport to catch a late afternoon flight to SLC. The plan was to spend three days on the tramps and water ramps at Utah Olympic Park (UOP) in Park City, in the hope of dialing in some new tricks that I could eventually bring to snow.

Park City's water ramp set up

The first day went great. I didn't work on anything new, but concentrated on adjusting a few tricks that I already have on snow. I wanted to get the most out of my short time at UOP and for the second day I felt that it was time to step it up. I wanted to learn double backs on the trampoline and eventually take them to double flat spins on the water ramps. I had the best coach in the business (Elana Chase) by my side, so I figured it was time to get things rolling.

Super coach, Elana Chase, getting it done.

We had an early morning tramp session, where we worked on one and a halves to my back and then doubles in the bungey. After an hour break, we returned to the tramps with the rest of the team. Although I was nervous as hell, I wanted to go for double backs by myself. My first try I got just past one and a half- almost landing on my head. I sacked up for a second try. I made it round twice, but sprung way too far back, landing in the springs at the end of the tramp mat and hyper extending my whole foot. I knew instantly that things weren't good. It felt horrible to walk on and started swelling all over.

I spent the rest of the water ramp camp sitting on the side of the pool with an ice pack close at hand. I was extremely frustrated and really bummed out. It had cost me a decent amount of money to fly down and I had so many expectations of myself for the three days, which were left unfulfilled.

While sitting by the side of the pool, I received the news that slopestyle skiing and snowboarding had been officially accepted for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. This was the point where the roller coaster took an upward turn. I had been anxiously waiting for this announcement for the past 6 months. After continuous delays and I was beginning to think that the IOC would turn down the idea of such a last minute addition to the Sochi program. However in this case, luck was on my side and I now have the chance to represent Australia in the 2014 Olympic games!

With this decision made, slopestyle is going to be pushed to crazy new heights. There will be more support and opportunities for free-skiers world wide, but along with this will increased competitive drive. People will be training harder and taking more risks. I know that I will need to work push myself more than ever to keep up. The roller coaster ride is only going to become more intense. The possible highs will be unimaginably high, but the lows could potentially bring me to rock bottom. It's a risk I'm willing to take. With this new perspective, a sprained ankle really is insignificant, even if it is disrupting my Summer skiing at Mt. Hood.

So now I just need to pamper my swollen foot so I can get back on snow asap- hopefully within the next week, before I return back to Aus.

It's Britney Bitch

2011-06-30T12:59:00.010-06:00

We were couped up inside, watching the fog and light rain engulf government camp while musing over what to do with ourselves for the next 24 hrs. Tiari, one of Bracher's friends from Hawaii, decided she wanted to see some live music in Portland. After thirty seconds of searching the web her mood changed from lethargic to ecstatic. Britney Spears was performing the next night and there were still cheap tickets available. Fifty bucks would get us as far away from the stage as possible. But whatever, it's Britney bitch.

Tiari, me, Maddy and Wyatt, prior to a life changing experience.

Before even entering Portland's Rose Garden stadium, we were being entertained. The crowd was best summed up as an ugly girls' (and guys dressed as ugly girls) freak-show. Here's a few of the banger shots I got:

After a good amount of time gawking at all the oddballs, we made our way up to the top level to find our cheap seats. We were stopped at the door to have our tickets checked, but rather than being directed on, our tickets were taken and swapped for ground level seating!!

So close to the stage!

First up was Nicki Minaj. Even after seeing her in real life, I'm still not sure whether that booty of her's is real. It definitely looked like she stuffed her pants.

Then came Britney. Her show was unbelievable. Smoke, lasers, glitter, hot dancers, crazy sets and probably 10 different costume changes. She was for sure lip synching- it would have been impossible for any one to belt out her songs through such an intense performance. But she lip-synched like only a professional pop star could.

Summer shredding

2011-06-28T10:02:00.007-06:00

I arrived in Oregon just in time to catch the last two days of skiing for session 2 at Windells. Apparently the weather had been pretty crappy before I arrived, but the sun came out for my first day on snow and this is what I found.....

Windells has two rope tows, a perfect 45 foot jump, mini jump line, multiple rail lines and a 22 ft halfpipe. After that you can ski down through public park, which has 9 jumps in a row! My legs were beat after the first day.

K2 has rented out two houses in Government camp. The Stept crew has taken the original K2 pad and I was relocated to the more 'sophisticated' house.

After skiing activities include cooking and backgammon. We also enjoy drinking tea and listen to Andy Mahre's new favourite music- classical violin. Apparently this is putting our street cred at risk, but I can live with that.

K2 photog, Alex O'Brien, excited about eating salad for dinner

Bracher, Malone and Nolan pondering over a game of backgammon

Check out the ski edit from session 2. More to come soon.

Session 2, 2011: Skiing from Windells on Vimeo.

Congratulations Jess and Jon.

2011-06-25T11:33:00.005-06:00

My first stop on my Summer US trip was Vail, CO for Jess Cumming and Jon Reedy's wedding. These two are a super couple. Both have had careers as professional skiers, both are sharp as chef knives and both are real lookers!

Bubbles replaced the confetti. I almost passed out from blowing so many.

The reception was held on top of Beaver Creek mountain. We were surrounded by lush green landscapes, friends and sunshine.

The skier crew

It didn't take long for the party to get started. Jess and Jon started it off with the first dance. Then it was anybody's game. Kids, adults, grandparents all joined in the party.

This was the most beautiful, fun, crazy wedding I've ever attended and it will never be forgotten. Congratulations Jess and Jon!

Owl Eyes

2011-06-24T10:45:00.001-06:00

Find more Owl Eyes songs at Myspace Music

2011-06-13T16:54:00.006-06:00

Charis Mckittrick, Nat Segal, Katya Crema and me- shredding Mt. Buller on the best opening weekend I can remember

To register for the first CWS session on June 25th at Mt. Buller, email us at chickswithstix.skiing@gmail.com

Channel 7 Sunrise

2011-06-09T16:47:00.004-06:00

Last night I drove up to Buller, all alone :( and arrived at an empty, freezing cold apartment. After wrapping myself in three doonas and setting up two heaters by my bed, I could still feel the chill creeping in. But I was happy. This is a good sign for the aussie ski season. The ground is covered with snow and the trees encrusted with white stuff. I can't remember the last time I saw Buller looking so good in June.

This morning I woke up at the crack of dawn to meet the channel 7 crew over at the Chalet Hotel. No coffee was offered to me, so I stole Harro's. He was drinking a Red Bull, so I figured he didn't need any more caffeine.

My stint on TV was short and sweet. I skied a few turns, jumped to switch, almost caught an edge, then met Grant at the bottom for a quick chat.

Harro and Gill helping out

Ahh! So many cameras on me. Even though it was only a few questions, I was pretty nervous.

I arrived back home to this beautiful view out my window. Iphone pics never do the landscape justice. But you get the idea.

Tuesdays at Lulu

2011-06-09T06:06:00.003-06:00

Tuesday night at the Chapel street Lululemon athletica went off! We had such a good turn out that there almost wasn't enough room in the store. Joh, took this challenge by the horns and succeeded in having us all with burning quads and red cheeks by the end of the class.

I think this one burned, but I was conveniently documenting it.

We were joined by Katya Crema (Olympic Ski-Xer), Belinda Price (VIS aerial team director) plus a whole lot of other enthusiastic faces.

The creepy caterpillar

This was just an introduction to Lululemon's Ski Fit Series, which will officially start on the first Tuesday in July and continue through the month, each Tuesday night from 6.30-7.30pm. The classes are free and you don't need to be a skier or snowboarder to attend. Anyone looking for motivation to get off the couch should come along.

My Baby

2011-06-09T06:00:00.004-06:00

It took a good three years to finally make this purchase but after countless dollars spent renting boards at various locations and numerous phone calls bugging friends to borrow theirs, I decided it was time.

The newest edition to our family (and probably the closest I'll get to having a real baby)....

After finally deciding to buy it, it took me another week to decided on the colour. I rekon it turned out pretty good. Thanks Trigger! Don't know if I should name it. Is that weird? Do surf boards have names? I feel like mine deserves one.

Pornstars in powder: sexism and snow

2011-06-01T21:53:00.001-06:00

Must read article by Miss Snow it All on her Sydney Morning Herald Blog.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/blogs/snow-it-all/pornstars-in-powder-sexism-and-snow-20110601-1fgdc.html

Lulu Lemon Ski Fit Series

2011-05-30T02:45:00.004-06:00

Joh Lyle- former Olympic snowboarder, and myself are holding a free Ski Fit Session at the Lulu Lemon store on Chapel street next week.

After retiring from snowboarding, Joh has crossed over to personal training and is going to take the class through some of her favourite ski fitness exercises.

Joh in action

This is the first class of a series of free Ski Fit classes that we will be holding throughout the winter. The classes will focus on getting our bodies conditioned for the up coming ski and snowboard season. The muscles used for these activities are quite specific- so we're aiming to get them strengthened up and ready for the snow. The classes will include core strength, leg strength, balance and agility exercises and also specific ski stretches for recovery.

Come join us at the Lulu store on Chapel street from 6.30-7.30pm next Tuesday (7th June)

http://www.lululemon.com/melbourne/chapelstreet/events/event-32421-2011-06-07

Hive Swimwear

2011-05-28T01:47:00.004-06:00

These bikinis are designed for girls that aim to do more than just tan when they're at the beach. Hive makes swimwear that actually stays on while surfing, swimming or running around in the sun.

The owner of Hive is the notorious trainer and physio to the Australian freestyle ski team- Hoggy. I met Hoggy at World Champs this year in Park City and he offered to hook me up with a few pairs.

I didn't have a chance to give them a try until my surf trip to Mexico. Probably the best bikinis I've ever worn. Not once did I emerge from a wave with one booby sticking sticking out and a big wedgie up my bum. What's more, they look cute and don't leave ugly tan lines like other 'athletic' bather tops.

This awesome company is based in Noosa, but you can check out their website at http://www.hiveswimwear.com

My hive booty

Womens Health Mag, June

2011-05-26T00:05:00.005-06:00

Woooh! First time in a non-skiing magazine. Stoked :)

Must Read Aussie Mags

2011-05-25T06:12:00.004-06:00

The Aussie ski season is fast approaching. There is snow on all the major peaks and Perisher resort even fired up its lifts last weekend to the delight of a mass of NSW riders. To add to the excitement, the Aussie ski mags have just released their annual publications. These are my three favourites! Definitely worth a look. Check to see if your local newsagent stocks them and if not... grill em!

The Honey Badger

2011-05-22T06:31:00.000-06:00

John van Wisse

2011-05-18T23:46:00.004-06:00

My usual Melbourne swimming spot, Prahran Pool, is currently under construction. This inconvenience forced my swimming partner (my sister) and I to search for a new puddle to methodically lap for the morning. We chose Harold Holt swimming pool not only for it's location, but for the memories I knew it would bring back of my child hood summers, swimming there with my mum.

Nostalgia hit me as I mosied past the kiddy area and looked over to the vintage 1950's diving board at the far end of the pool. I placed my bag to the side, leisurely stripped down to my bikini and slowly dipped myself into the warm water. My tranquil daze was abruptly interrupted by an aggressive thrashing of water and flesh. I quickly turned to find this vehement face staring back at me. In a split second it was gone, immersed back into the water, speeding off down the black line.

For the first couple of laps I took no notice of the other swimmer sharing our lane, but it was only a matter of time until this water beast came speeding past me, close enough to scare me but with enough space to just miss clobbering my head. Every two laps, this guy would overtake me. He was obviously a man on a mission and I tried my best to stay out of his way.

It was only towards the end of my swim session that I learned who this guy actually was. His name is John van Wisse. Marathon swimmer extraordinaire. He has won the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (48km) 3 times, secured the Australian record for swimming the English channel in 1994, held the record for the Portarlington to Frankston swim (40km) and secured the World record for being the first brother and sister team to swim the English channel... just to name a few of his freakish athletic achievements.

I learnt all this and more from a true fan swimming in the lane next to us. His advice to us was "there's no stopping him. Leave him be and come swim in this lane." We obliged.

Apparently most days, John swims 30km and drinks 4 litres of water each swimming session. Pretty much the definition of super athlete.

I left the pool this morning feeling intrigued by this dedicated character, but also extremely inspired. If you want to check up on John (I'm now talking about him like he's my new best friend) visit his website http://johnvanwisse.com.

Rebel TV

2011-05-17T16:25:00.000-06:00

Mexico

2011-05-14T15:31:00.002-06:00

For my last 10 days in America I took a much needed hiatus from the real world and escaped down to the Baja peninsula. I'd never been to Mexico before, but I knew that somewhere down there I'd be able to find what I'd been craving all winter. This is what I found....

Our view from our apartment every morning

A friend of my mum's friend (who happened to be a Squaw local) kindly rented us his studio beach apartment in San Jose. The location was prime- right on the beach in front of 4 different surf breaks. Every morning we'd wake up early to surf either The Rock, Old Man's or Middles. Zippers was the fourth break, but it is common knowledge that unless you're a local, or a damn good surfer, you don't surf there. If you push the locals too far on this unwritten rule, you risk having your toes cut off with a machete. Soooo I steered clear.

My favourite break, The Rock

We took a few trips around to the Peninsula- up to Todos Santos, home of the Hotel California, made famous by the Eagles' song, and also over to the East Cape.

Our first trip to the East Cape was with-out surfboards. We were planning on taking in the serene landscape of the apparently secluded beaches. However this is what we found....

The remnants of a donkey party.

As we exited the car to inspect, the majority of the donkeys shrunk guiltily away under the shaded canopies. All except this shameless creature. He obviously was not satisfied with feasting on trash and made it his mission to procure some kind of food from me.

This brazen little donkey had no limits.

Speaking of brazen, I have to tell you about the new friend we made, Steve. This friendly Texan ex-pat, who now lives on the Baja, makes Ned Kelly look like a woosie. Steve, an old time pro surfer in the 60s, came up to me while surfing one day and asked if he could offer me some tips. Upon first conversing with him, I could hardly comprehend his heavy Texan drawl, but after a few days I was able to understand Steve's insane memoirs which included living the life of a competitive surfer, traveling the world with the US Navy, joining various bike gangs (including the Bandidos) and being shot and stabbed numerous times through-out his life.

Steve took us back to the East Cape to show us a few local surf breaks along the coast. We loaded our boards onto his classic 70s Suburban and jumped in the back with his treasured mutt dog, Nube.

Jake, Steve and Nube loading up the car

That afternoon we spent more time on the beach, mesmerised by Steve's stories, than in the water.

After 10 days in Mexico I had shed my winter pastiness and replaced it with a tan and a refreshing coconut beverage. Just what I needed.

Ashley's 9 Queens Edit

2011-05-13T15:42:00.000-06:00

9 Queens from Ashley Battersby on Vimeo.

Cosmopolitan's Fun Fearless Female Award

2011-05-03T12:11:00.004-06:00

I've been nominated for Australian Cosmopolitan's Fun Fearless Female Award! I'd really, really appreciate it if you took a couple of minutes to visit:

http://www.funfearlessfemale.com.au/

and vote for me in the sports category. You can vote multiple times and voting closes may 9th

Thanks!!
x
Anna

Australian Snowsports AthleteS of the Year

2011-04-29T09:30:00.004-06:00

The Ski and Snowboard Australia Awards are held annually in Melbourne to celebrate the achievements of Australian athletes. This year, the success of Australian skiers and snowboarders was unprecedented and in order to recognise the four world championship gold medals that were acquired, the Snow Sports Athlete of the year title was split four ways. Nate Johnston (halfpipe snowboarder), Holly Crawford (halfpipe snowboarder), Chumpy Pullin (boarder cross) and myself shared the award.

I was unable to be at the awards, as I'm still in Colorado cleaning out my apartment. However, the other three did a good job of looking the part up there on the stage.

Holly Crawford, Nate Johnstone and Chumpy Pullin

Espn Article

2011-04-28T13:24:00.001-06:00

As a follow up to the edit that Pop the Spot made about our trip to Spain and Andorra, I wrote a little article for ESPN.com. Check it out here

http://espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/blog/_/post/6432439/skiing-spain?lkj

Spain Edit

2011-04-26T11:33:00.003-06:00

A little edit from Keri, Maude and my trip to Spain and Andorra. Gotta say thanks to Jaime Puigdengoles and Pep Malo, from Pop the Spot for the filming and editing. Check out their project at http://popthespot.es

Keri, Maude & Anna from Popthespot! on Vimeo.

WSI video

2011-04-22T23:20:00.001-06:00

Check out the men's and women's final runs from the WSI slope yesterday.

2011-04-22T13:37:00.001-06:00

In Asia - Trailer from Vincent Urban on Vimeo.

WSI Slopestyle

2011-04-21T20:12:00.005-06:00

I'm up in Whistler at the moment to compete in the WSI (World Ski Invitational), which is part of the spring Telus festival. I'm staying with a bunch of crazy skier kids in a smashing apartment, overlooking the live music stage in the middle of Whistler village.

The course for the slope comp was a lot bigger than expected. Since arriving home from Europe my mind has been in Spring mode, which means relaxed afternoons skiing in slushy, warm conditions. The last few years there hasn't been a serious slopestyle for WSI, only the Orage Masters, which is a team event focused more on costumes and funny skits than the skiing. However this year the AFP (Association of Freeski Professionals) decided use the Telus festival to host their World Championships- this meant a burly course.

This morning I rode the 3 lifts up to the course by myself and couldn't help but take pictures of the beautiful scenery surrounding me. Fresh snow had fallen overnight causing mid-spring in Whistler to seem more like a winter wonderland.

Practice on the course went OK, but as soon as we began lining up to take our finals run my brain went to mush. Nerves sprung out from nowhere and scrambled any rational thought process I had left. I could only describe my first run as a failure at best. I messed up the first feature, which was an easy flat down rail, leaving me no speed to hit the following jumps.

Somehow I relaxed myself enough to land all the tricks in my second run... which ended up earning me 3rd. I was stoked! Not so much about getting on the podium, but more with landing my first corked 7 in competition.

Kaya Turski earned herself 1st, with Ash Battersby close behind in 2nd.

And that's a wrap for slopestyle competitions this season... I have big air on Saturday night, but for now it's time to party!... Umm we've already started.

My Coach, Elana

2011-04-14T18:54:00.004-06:00

This interview was written by Megan Michelson for http://espn.go.com/action/. You can find the real thing at http://espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/news/story?id=6355417

Freeskiing coach Elana Chase and athlete David Wise at the top of the Winter X Europe halfpipe.

You may have never heard of Elana Chase, but you've definitely heard of the skiers she's coached: Jen Hudak, Torin Yater-Wallace, David Wise, Tucker Perkins, Jess Cumming, Anna Segal, Walter Wood, Anais Caradeux and more. Chase, a former member of the U.S. Freestyle Development Team for inverted aerials and moguls, is currently working as the program director for Vail's freeski and big-mountain teams. This winter, Chase was awarded the Pioneering Women's Award from the Outdoor Industries Women's Coalition for her work as a mentor and coach and in 2008, she was named Freestyle Coach of the Year by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, the first time a park-and-pipe coach or a woman has earned that distinction.

Halfpipe being in the Olympics will be a game changer. It gives athletes another level of focus, a pinnacle of an event to reach for. Childhood dreams will be realized. It'll be interesting to see who makes it to 2014. There have been so many athletes who've worked so hard at this for over a decade and will they be able to make it another three years?

I would be so proud to have an athlete I worked with hang an Olympic gold medal around their neck.

When I first started coaching freeskiing, I wouldn't actually call myself a coach in public. The athletes didn't want anything to do with the people who represented traditional skiing or someone telling them what to do like a traditional coach.

I was once called "the secret weapon" by an athlete and I am still pretty proud of that statement.

I'm the only female coaching freeride at the elite level. And sure, the book gets judged by the cover every day. People have a hard time not looking at me differently. But it's not about me on the hill. It's about my athletes. They know I will do whatever it takes to help them achieve their goals despite the challenges.

For years, I did everything. I offered technical advice. I tuned skis. I set up dryland training programs. I was emotional support. I did logistics for traveling and helped with sponsor contracts. But now, at the higher levels and with the news of the Olympics, we have ski techs, team trainers, physios, agents, and coaches. My job is getting more specialized.

Winning isn't everything to me. It's paramount to be a good person first, a good skier second. I work with younger athletes too and these are the things we talk about as they rise through the ranks. Just ask Jen Hudak.

I coach the physics part of skiing and the athlete adds the creativity. I tend to just listen and not put my own opinion out there as to what tricks they should perform. I help them understand how the tricks are going to happen but not decide their run for them.

One of the unique elements about freeskiing is this thing we have called style. It's hard to put words to it, but it's the fluidity of the skiing, the way the athlete puts their run together and how visually pleasing it is to watch. It's their own personal interpretation of how freeskiing should look.

You never say something's impossible in this sport because someone will prove you wrong. Whether it's a unique way to grab your ski, axis of rotation or sheer amplitude of the tricks, never say never.

I'm not a believer in the idea that it's all natural talent, that someone's sports career is decided at age eight. There are so many factors that come together to make someone reach the highest levels -- hard work, the ability to stay positive, being a good person. You can see when someone has all of those special qualities. The stars start to line up.

Take Torin Yater-Wallace. He's only 15 but he's been working really hard for many years. He had adversity in his life and he still managed to show up to training every day and work really hard. We all saw it.

These athletes care so much, they're going to get a little angry when they don't do well. But I try to lighten it up with a joke like, 'It's only skiing.' The fact that they get to do this as their sport, a career for some, is extraordinary. They have to remember how good their lives really are.

Bolle at Monarch

2011-04-11T22:29:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I drove down South of Breckenridge to meet the Bolle crew in Salida, Colorado. We had a day of cat skiing planned at Monarch mountain, partly for fun and partly to get some shots for the Bolle catalogue.

I joined skiers Matt Phillipi and Jess Cumming, snowboarders Chad Otterstrom and Ian Thorley, photographer Jeff Brockmyer, a filmer and a fair few others.

Jess and me in the cat.

The forecast, which had predicted 5-10" of snow before our trip, did not live up to its word. The conditions were more like dust on crust, but luckily Karl the cat driver was able to find some nice stashes where the wind had blown in some pockets of goodness.

We found some little cliffs and cornices to drop off and Chad whipped up an almost perfect take-off in a wind-lip, which he was nice enough to let me hit. The conditions were a little sketch, so we didn't get too extreme, but we all had a lot of fun working with what we had.

After skiing from 9 till 3 my stomach was tying itself in knots. I was pretty excited to find a hot American lunch of beef brisket and chile waiting for us at the lodge.

Olympic Hopes

2011-04-08T09:11:00.003-06:00

The IOC has yet again pushed back a final decision as to whether slope-style skiing (and snowboarding) will be included in the next winter Olympics.

The decision was initially to be made back in October, however the Olympic committee thought it would be best to first observe and asses the FIS slope-style world championships before a final call was made.

While competing in Park City for the World Champs I noticed a number of 'suits', standing on the sidelines, clipboards in hands, supposedly assessing the Olympic potential of our sport. The post event media frenzy suggested that these officials had been thoroughly impressed, giving hope to many of those involved, that they had the potential to be future Olympians.

During the IOC meeting in London a few days ago, a number of events, including skiing halfpipe were announced as new winter Olympic sports. However the slope style decision was again pushed back.

IOC President Jacques Rogge commented that "we need extra information about the capacity for athletes and spectators in the region. We are sending a team to make a full report. We would not want to have a new games where there was a problem with capacity..... If you add more events, you need more slopes and more access for spectators and technicians..... I expect a report by mid-May but I would not want to fix myself on a date. "

When I began free-skiing, I never anticipated that it would become an Olympic event. I surrendered any hopes of going to the Olympics when I gave up mogul skiing and since that time the Olympics have never been part of my motivation to ski. Yet since the IOC program commission recommended slope-style's inclusion, my dreams of going to the Olympics have resurfaced.

The IOC's decision will have a huge effect on the next three years of my life, but I guess for now it's just a waiting game

Barcelona

2011-04-06T06:40:00.005-06:00

I've been on blog hiatus for the last week. I only had one week in Spain and I did not intend to waste any time sitting on my laptop, writing about it.

While in Catalonia, Jaimie Puigdengoles acted as our tour guide. He's studying architecture in Barcelona so was able to give us the low down on every famous building we crossed paths with.

Me, Maude, Keri and Jaime

On waking up in Jaime's house, I found that everyone else was already on Spanish time, i.e. sleeping in. To pass some time I took an early morning walk to get a croissant and coffee. While cruising around I found Gaudi's Colegio de las Teresitas Barcelona just 100 meters down the street from Jaime's apartment. The Colegio was originally built for the Terisian order of nuns and was one of Gaudi's first commissions. It's now a school, as I found out by walking right through the gates and into the school grounds during lunch break. I was quickly identified as suspicious and ushered out by a teacher and a security guard.

Colegio de las Teresitas 1888-1890

Later that morning, the four for us jumped a bus to downtown Barcelona. This part of the city is considered as 'old Barcelona' and was surrounded by city walls all the way up to the early 20th century. We wondered through the maze of narrow streets taking in the architecture and city life surrounding us. At times even Jaime would get lost.

Down one side alley we came across this stone wall punctured with pot holes. Jaime explained to us these were bullet marks from the Spanish Civil war. Apparently this was where people were lined up to be massacred. To decrease the soldiers guilt, only one in four guns would be loaded with bullets, leaving the shooters not knowing whether they had killed in cold blood or not.

The crowds of children playing and laughing alongside the wall created an eerie juxtaposition to the sad memories of the square.

We met up with Javi Fondevila for a late Spanish lunch. Javi is one the owner's and creators of Phil Park, a Spanish clothing brand that is blowing up on the ski scene at the moment. We got to go check out the Phil Park offices located right on the beach and were all given a sweet Phil Park hoodie, perfect for shredding in.

Javi in his managers chair.

Although I was exhausted from a day of activities, I couldn't pass up the offer to party Barcelona style. We headed out on the town at 1am and into the club at 2.30. Mondays is the biggest night of the week for all the cool kids because of DJ act Nasty Mondays. The line up to get in was ridiculous, but the main DJ of the act is a snowboarder so we were able to walk right in.

Barcelona's trendy scene.

Spaiiiiiiin

2011-03-29T13:11:00.005-06:00

Visiting Spain has been something I've wanted to do for a long time, but almost all my traveling the last few years has revolved around skiing. This year I decided to treat myself and tack on some extra traveling after competing in Europe.

I mentioned my idea to a few of my skier friends which led to Maude Raymond and Keri Herman jumping on the band wagon to join my adventure.

This was the first thing I saw when I got off the plain in Barcelona. I was stoked to see that Spain had named their airline after me.

We were picked up from the airport by our Spanish friend Jaime, who is showing us round his hood for the week. We were driven up to Andorra that night as Jaime had to compete in a local freeski comp the next day.

On the way back to Barcelona we checked out the local delicacies. This is Jaime's favourite supermarket as it offers free sampling of all the meats, cheeses and alcohol you can take in. The cheapest way to refuel after a long day skiing.

My blurry picture doesn't do it justice, but the scenery on the drive home was amazing.

Can't wait to check out Barcelona!

Seven Springs edit

2011-03-26T06:57:00.000-06:00

Sunrise

2011-03-24T02:36:00.003-06:00

We were out of bed at 4.50 am and waiting at the bottom of the mountain for our cat pick-up at 5.45. Early mornings are a bitch, but completely worth the amazing shots you can gather from them.

Kelly Sildaru, the 9 year girl freeski prodigy from Estonia, was waiting for us with her dad. Kelly has been skiing with us all week and has continued to amaze me with her hard work ethic and natural talent.

Tiny Kelly, Emma Dahlstrom and I waiting in the dark

Despite the early wake up, we were a little late making it up to the Castle. While driving up in the cat, we watched the sun peak its head over the Austrian alps, making us all anxious to get down to business. Nonetheless we still managed to get some great pictures and footage. It was hard not to with such a picturesque backdrop surrounding us.

Towards the end of the session, Ash took it upon herself to start follow cam-ing me over the kicker.

Me upside down and Ash close behind

After two and a half hours of continuous sled laps, we were all pretty beat. To end the morning off, we all gathered on top of our majestic castle for the final shot of the day.

Heli Shoot

2011-03-23T10:01:00.004-06:00

Yesterday afternoon we were lucky enough to have a heli organised, so the photographers and filmers could get some awesome angles of us jumping.

This was my first ever heli shoot and I was a little nervous about being followed into a big kicker with the blasting sound of rotor blades in my ears. But I actually found it more exciting than nerve racking.

All the girls killed it! Doing tricks ranging from corked 5s, 7s and 9s, rodeo 5s, switch 7s - all with sick grabs! I did my first corked 7 on a big jump, which I was stoked about. It was definitely a progressive session for girls skiing!

D.A.N.C.E

2011-03-22T02:52:00.003-06:00

This is Ashley Battersby, otherwise known as Smash. She has some great dance moves and even better ski moves.

Dirndls

2011-03-21T12:18:00.005-06:00

Our hotel in Serafaus is smack bang in the middle of the Austrian alps and this is the view we woke to yesterday morning.

After going up to the mountain to test the castle feature, we were presented with our very own Dirndls. The Dirndl is a traditional Austrian/Bavarian dress which is worn to special events and formal occasions. As our first night fit into this category, we all dressed up.

Dirndls aren't the most comfortable outfits. They are really tight around the ribcage and stomach, but they make you look super skinny! Beauty is pain, right?

When we arrived at dinner we were greeted by huge cut-outs of our cartoon characters.

No detail was spared... we had 9 Queens mugs, glasses and water pitchers.

Caja double fisting - she's a true Bavarian lady.

Dinner was delicious, but not a scrap of vegetable was to be found. We were served a special dish, unique to the Austrian alps, which was presented to us in an iron pot which looked older than the town. Apparently the recipe dates back over 1000 years. It consisted of cheese, stock, a little polenta and spices- but mainly cheese.

By the end of dinner I thought I was going to burst out of my Dirndl. Miraculously my dress zip lasted through the night. I guess they have to be built tough to get through these huge Austrian feasts.

Car Ride from Hell

2011-03-21T11:57:00.003-06:00

After a late night out, none of us were looking forward to being stuck in a 9 person van, with 8 people and 16 bags. However we were well aware of the 8 hour drive which was ahead of us and thought that we prepared sufficiently with food supplies and water.

What we weren't expecting was being stuck in a traffic jam for 5 hrs, in which time we only traveled 30kms! On top of this, our i-trip didn't work, so we listened to the same two cds over and over.

This picture describes the vibe of the van perfectly. There were waves of grumpiness, sleepiness, restlessness and by the end, insanity.

After 14 hours of driving, we finally arrived in Serafaus at 1.30 in the morning.

Euro X

2011-03-17T11:09:00.010-06:00

Bread, cheese, crazy parties with some skiing thrown in there too. That’s pretty much sums up my week in Tignes for the European X-games.

The women’s ski slopestyle finals was the first event to run. We had practice on the course for the first two mornings and then competed on the 16th. Similar to last year, the course was constantly being changed. The rail set-up was mint, but the jumps were another story. Everyone was having trouble clearing the knuckles, which meant that we couldn’t start figuring out our tricks. Comp day was pretty stressful as the snow had heated up and clearing the jumps was proving even more difficult, even though the knolls had been shortened. The last jump was closed, which left the course with 3 rail features and only 2 jumps.

I landed my first two runs and then on the last, didn’t have enough speed for the first jump. I ended up fourth- which was OK.... But I would have really liked to be on the podium. However I was stoked that the girls who finished 1st (Kaya Turski), 2nd (Keri Herman) and 3rd (Kim Lamarre- my roomie) are all my close friends.

WIth the stressful part out of the way, kick back and celebrate.

Keri knocked my drink to the floor, which earned her a shoe. She got a few delicious mouthfuls of beer soaked toe jam from the bottom of her Ugg boots.

The next few days were spent watching other events, hanging out with friends and exploring the town.

One of the biggest crowd pleasing events of the week was the men's superpipe final. Local hero Kevin Rolland is so popular in the French Alps that he had his own parade down the main street of Tignes

While Ash and I were cruising through Tignes, we found this cute little couple (ski judge Steele Spence and his wife Justine) picnic-ing perched on the side walk and picnic-ing on wine and cheese in front of the deli. Awwww.

My personal record of 3 nights out in a row has left me proud of myself, but completely exhausted. Next stop is Serrafaus, Austria for 9 Queens.

Hello Europe

2011-03-12T13:02:00.002-07:00

My European adventure has just begun. I arrived in Tignes a few hours ago. The first thing I did was stuff my face with delicious European food.

Zubas

2011-03-12T12:58:00.005-07:00

My friend Keri Herman has just introduced me to Zubaz. I didn't really know much about them- Sadly I don't think this trend ever reached Australia, but here is what Wikipedia had to say about them.

"Zubaz (pronounced /ˈzuːbæz/ ZOO-baz^[1]) is a brand of shorts and pants that became popular during the early 1990s. They were created in 1988 by two Minnesotan bodybuilders, Dan Stock and Bob Truax, as a comfortable, functional short for weightlifting"

Miss Keri Herman, originally from Minnesota, was so obsessed with finding a pair of Zubaz, which she reminisced as being the coolest piece of clothing she owned growing up, that she emailed the owner and got herself sponsored!

Keri began receiving so many pairs of Zubaz that she decided to start a gang. You can't understand how honoured I felt when she rang me up and asked me to join. Not only did the gang members receive a pari of brightly coloured Zubaz, but also a doo-rag and a Zubaz thong.

Gang leader, Keri Herman

Me in my new Zubaz

I didn't take the thong, but Ash did. Pure class.

Red Mountain

2011-03-12T11:39:00.006-07:00

On the way home from Kristi Leskinen's event at Seven Springs, I squeezed in a short stop to go cat skiing at Red Mountain, located in interior British Columbia. I was picked up at Spokane airport by an unfamiliar aussie guy and his girlfriend. It was extremely nice of them to pick me up, but I was scared for my life during the snowy drive up to Red.

The next morning I was awoken by the sparky voice of travel journo, Rachael Oakes Ash. It was due to Rachael's professional hustling that I was able to visit Red. I felt a little in debt to her and made my best effort to get ready for the day as quick as possible.

Day one was spent cruising Red Mountain resort with the local free-ski team riders (from left to right Vince, Sally, ummm forgotten his name (sorry!) and Simon).

Little 8 year old Simon stuck with me for most of the day, but at times I found it tough to keep up with him! He shredded the mountain like a seasoned professional- a reality which will only be a matter of time for this little prodigy.

Vince, our photographer, committed to getting the shot.

I've recorded day two my personal history, as some of the best skiing of my life! That's a big call, but here is a mini preview of how good the snow was. On top of that, there were no lift lines, no windy chairlift rides and freshly prepared lunch waiting for us inside our warm cat cabin.

Two days at Red Mountain was far too short. I felt like I was just getting comfortable, then I was up and leaving again. I heard that they served decent coffees at the Alpine Grind Coffee House in Rossland. Before hitting the road Rachael and I stopped by to investigate.

Rossland main street

The rumours were true. The coffee was great!

And the cafe was stocked with delicious home baked treats. Kinda reminded me of a Melbourne cafe.

HomeComing PA

2011-02-25T20:46:00.005-07:00

I had my first day skiing on the East coast today. It was icy.

We're here for Kristi Leskinen's annual Homecoming event. Usually it's an all girls comp, aimed at progressing the women's side of the sport. But due to a large number of injuries, the 35 girls who were initially invited shrunk to only 7. As we had all bought our tickets, Kristi decided to turn the comp into a shoot. This sounded way more fun to me!

This morning we woke to trying conditions. It had been raining all night and then frozen to ice. On top of this the wind was howling like crazy and the visibility was slim to none. After Kristi gave us a tour around the mountain, we decided to trade our skis for guns.

My first time shooting guns was as unsuccessful as my efforts to ski in the morning. I thought that wearing my braces over my jacket would help me fit in with the gun toting crowd. But there was no way I could disguise my horrible hand eye co-ordination from the group.

I was petrified of the things. Every time I fired a shot I would close my eyes and miss the target. I didn't hit one clay pigeon all afternoon!

After learning how to hold the gun and firing a few warm up shots, we started a contest. Ash Battersby and I finished equal last. However Miss Shanny Cohen, an Idaho native, blitzed everyone and was rewarded with a shiny gold trophy.

Even though the lodge was a 1 minute walk from the shooting range, we were given golf carts to drive there and back. I mean, I am in Ammmerrrrca and Ammerrcan people pretty much have right to drive and shoot what ever and where ever they god damn like. Ya hear!

First Class!

2011-02-25T20:32:00.004-07:00

United airlines finally seated me where I belonged- First class. Not business, FIRST! wheeew. I was pretty excited with my spacey enclave tucked up the front of the plane. I'm not ashamed to admit that I spent a good ten minutes taking timed pictures of myself so I could remember the experience.

The free lunch (a rarity on domestic flights these days) was delicious. There was none of that plastic meat crap. Instead I received a healthy grilled Mediterranean chicken breast and a freshly baked cookie.

The best part was definitely the leg room and my seat which completely flattened to a bed.

Not bad.

Splurge

2011-02-21T21:54:00.002-07:00

My new Marc Jacobs bag. I feel a little guilty, but pleased with myself at the same time

Jackson Hole

2011-02-20T19:32:00.006-07:00

The aussie Chillfactor road trip continues...

I've heard stories about Jackson Hole and although I'm quite a sceptical listener, I couldn't help but form a pre-conceived idea about the place. When we arrived in Jackson I realised that I hadn't been fooled. Jackson lived up to and surpassed all expectations.

After staying in 5 star hotels with room service, gyms, and bell boys the group was a little unsettled with the prospect of squeezing 5 of us in a tiny hostel room. But the idea grew on us. Jackson is renowned for its gnarly ski bums, mountain men and all round core attitude. We had to stop being woosies and try to embrace what Jackson is all about.

Jenny Owens, Australian Olympic skier crosser, met us in our shoebox. After dumpin our bags, we quickly vacated the stuffy room to the Mangey Moose for some grub. The Mangey Moose is an infamous institution in Jackson and again, turned out to be just how I imagined it. A wooden styled saloon with a mixture of skiing and cowboy paraphernalia plastered across the walls. The food was average and the waitress was a b**** but we were having so much fun playing Mr. Squiggle on our napkins that we blocked these details out

The hippy jam band came on just as we finished dinner.

Even though it wasn't my type of music, the Jackson vibe sucked me in. We all ended up staying until the bar closed.

Boen, Tess, Jenny

Getting out of bed the next morning was a bit of a struggle, but the 10" of fresh quickly cured any headaches.

SO MUCH POW!

Although the main aim of this trip was to get shots, so there was a fair bit of stopping to set up camera gear, we still managed to get a bunch of runs in waist deep snow.

Harro getting the shot

After a huge day of skiing, hiking and shooting I was cold and hungry. Our guide, Marni, led us to this locals only hang out, conveniently located in the middle of a run, but hidden from the public by massive hand built snow walls. The BBQ was blazing and drinks were being handed round to anyone in need.

Thanks Charles.

Check out Boen's blog for some ski pics of him and Charlie Timmins

Trippin to Tah

2011-02-16T22:58:00.003-07:00

Travel day today. Drove from Aspen to Utah. Tess and I had so much fun bumping Usher, Backstreet Boys and Rihanna that I didn't even notice that 7 hours had passed by.

I Heart Aspen

2011-02-14T14:49:00.006-07:00

As soon as I finished competing at Snowbasin, I jumped in the car and sped down to Salt Lake to pick my little sis, Nat, and began our road trip to Aspen.

After six and a half hours of driving we arrived at the Viceroy Hotel in Snowmass to meet the Chillfactor crew, who we're going to be shooting with over the next few days.

Waiting for us in our room was a nice bottle of red and a basket of sugary goodies, which Nat, Tess and I quickly demolished.

Today I took it real easy. I didn't get out of bed until 10, then cruised into town for some lunch and a coffee at my favourite Aspen cafe, Victoria's. This place is owned by an Australian guy which is probably part of the reason why it makes the best coffee in town. You can get flat whites, Milo hot chocolates and Vegemite on toast!

I arrived back to our hotel to find that the concierge had delivered us MORE sugary treats for Valentines day, plus a bunch of flowers. I'm going to be rolling out of this town a ball of blubber.

I love Aspen!

Dew Tour Finals

2011-02-14T10:59:00.003-07:00

Snowbasin was the final stop for the Winter Dew Tour circuit this season. Girls' skiing was only included in two stops; Breckenridge and Snowbasin. I decided to give up my spot for the Breckenridge stop as I was still rehabing my ankle injury. Which made the Snowbasin stop my one and only Dew Tour appearance this season.

In both the mens and womens field it was extremelly tough to qualify for finals. Only five women went through, meeting one pre-qualified athlete in the finals.

The course was short but technical. The two jumps at the bottom had perfectly shaped take offs, but fairly flat landings, which made impact really hard on the body.

I qualifed 5th, just scraping through to the finals. I knew that I would have to change up a few things in my run in order to reach the podium.

Front 270 out of the flat bar

My first final's run I layed down a back swap over the transfer boxes, to a blind 270, gap out of the up down rail, to front 270 out of the flat bar, into a switch left 5 mute to a right rodeo 5 critical. I scored fairly well, but knew I could clean it up a lot. My second run felt a lot cleaner but the downhill wind caught me on the last jump. I went way too big on my rodeo 5 and couldn't manage to stick the landing.

But my first run landed me in 3rd place- which I was pretty stoked about. The whole women's field was really pushing the boundaries yesterday and I was just happy to be a part of it.

Kaya Turski in 1st, Devin Logan in 2nd and me in 3rd

Skiing Koala chicks

2011-02-11T15:38:00.003-07:00

I just got emailed this today- It's my little comic logo for Nine Queens. Out of all the events this year, I'm probably most excited about this one. It's a girls only event, being held in Austria at Serfaus Fiss Ladis, over 5 days at the end of March.

The 9 Queens will be:

Virgine Faivre
Grete Eliassen
Sarah Burke
Caja Schopf
Kaya Turski
Eva Patscheider
Lena Stoffel
Me

With guests

Keri Herman
Kim Lamarre
Kelly Sildaru

They're already building up a huge snow pile for construction of the 'chateau' feature. Apparently it will be a jump/hip/jib feature all combined in the shape of a massive snow castle. Can't wait to see it finished.

Dew Tour- Snowbasin

2011-02-11T14:56:00.005-07:00

The last three weeks have been back to back competitions. X-games, to World Champs and now I'm here in Ogden for the final stop of the Dew Tour.

Ogden is, to put it politely, a drab little city. Not the kind of place I'd ever want to live. But only 30 minutes away is Snowbasin, which is a where most of the Dew Tour action is going down.

The Marriot hotel put on a nice free-for all shindig two nights ago.

All you could eat free food! And not the scummy Sizzler style buffet, which many events use to feed masses of athletes. This was reeeeeal gourmettttte! Custom made stir-fries and all.

Today we had the men's and women's slopestyle qualifying rounds. Only 5 women went through to finals and luckily I placed 5th. Phewww! I'm in, so that's all that matters.

At the bottom of the course I found the Australian aerial development team watching. After my run I took a quick lap with them. Luckily these little gymnastic phenoms are so small, we were all able to pack into one gondola.

Sardines!

Tonight Ice Cube is playing down in Ogden, so I'll be brushing up on my 90s dance moves this arvo to get prepared. Saturday off, then Sunday is the big day...

R.I.P. Phoebe I love you

2011-02-06T17:57:00.002-07:00

I spent more than half my life with Phoebe. She was given to me when I was 11 and now I'm 24. She was 13 and a half years old- which is 94 in dog years. But she still had that puppy glint in her eye. Mum said that this puppy glint had faded. She had stopped eating her food and she could no longer stand up to walk. I can't imagine her like this. Maybe it was a good thing that I didn't have to see it. I will always remember her as the most loyal, clutzy, happy-go lucky, unconditionally loving animal in the world. The hardest thing is going to be arriving home at the end of April and not having her there to greet me- as if I had never left her by herself for 5 months. Rest in peace Phoebe.

ZOE - double backs !

2011-02-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

chickswithstix: ZOE - double backs !

Check out my friend Zoe landing a double backie off a pow jump in Japan

I started free-skiing with Zoe when I was 15. We learnt our first 360s together, our first backflips together and slid our first rails together. She has always been an inspiration to me, not only for her skiing talents but for how she lives her life in general. There's nothing Zoe can't do. Not only is she an occupational therapist, but she is one of the highest qualified free-style judges in Australia and co-founder of 'Chicks with Stix'- an organisation started last season aimed at inspiring young female skiers to participate in freestyle workshops, training camps and competitions.

Zoe is an all round legend in my eyes, and this double back-flip is only icing on the cake.

Aerials

2011-02-05T14:13:00.005-07:00

After all the craziness of press conferences, interviews and drug tests were over I had a bunch of free time to go and check out some other events at the Freestyle World Champs. Although I don't technically consider it as skiing, aerials is a really spectacular event to watch. I have trouble trying to identify the exact tricks that most of the athletes are throwing, and most of the time can't even count how many spins they rotate in each flip. But I still enjoyed the show.

Little was I to know that I would witness aerial history. The winner of the men's, Canadian Warren Shouldice, was rewarded the highest score in history for a single jump with his lay, triple full, full- In english this translates to a straight backflip, into another straight backflip with three full spins, into another straight backflip with one full spin. ahhh crazy!

After some sweet aerial action I made it a goal of mine to sneak into the American's VIP tent. All my buddies were in there and after being denied from the 'US only' Centre of Excellence, I was determined to break in.

And I did. Wooooh! Free food, free beer and free Australian wine. I guess American wine wasn't good enough for all those Very Important People.

I filled my pockets with freebies and then came across my friends from the US slopestyle and halfpipe team to watch the rest of the action.

World Champs Finals

2011-02-03T22:24:00.003-07:00

As I mentioned before, the first two days of practice were a struggle. It was freezing cold, the snow was slow and there was a head wind. I knuckled all three jumps in the big line, before deciding the smaller line would be better for my health.

Wednesday was qualifications. We were on the hill at 7.30 am in -30 degree weather. Not ideal for a slopestyle comp. I still couldn’t clear the large jump line due to speed issues and I ended up qualifying 8th. I was relieved I qualified, but a little worried with how low I scored.

Finals was a new day and a new competition. I had decided to change up my run and luckily on the morning speed was way faster, so I was able to clear 2 out of the 3 big jumps. My two finals runs scored 7 and 8 points higher than the day before! And…….

I ended up winning!

Today was definitely up there with some of the best I’ve ever had. The whole awards ceremony was tres official. They played the aussie national anthem- I tried to sing along while a big aussie crew cheered me on. My Australian buddy Russ Henshaw also podiumed- he got 3rd in the guy’s slopestyle. Aussies taking over! oi, oi, oi.

Ghetto

2011-02-01T21:16:00.001-07:00