November 18, 2000
Power Play
Photos by Aaron Lefohn and Misha Ovchinnikov
Misha and I have enjoyed many types of skiing together but one of the genres that we seem to lean towards whenever we are together are repeated speed/carve runs, faster and faster each time. I remember a day last season when we were doing carving speed runs on this same run (Regulator Johnson) at Snowbird and by the fourth or fifth time, the speeds were getting ludicrous. We finally decided to go ski somewhere else just for our own safety. As all good ski partners do, we push one another. This was our first power play of the season. ©Aaron Lefohn 2000
Misha was convinced that he'd be waiting for me since I was on my telemark gear, but much to both of our surprise, my new Atomic Beta Cruise tele skis love to be skied at mach 2 in either parallel or telemark turns (well only mach 1 in tele mode). We shared the day with fellow research group mates, Alex and Alex, and their respective others.
Left to right: Alex, Anton, Nelly, and Misha first thing in the morning. Misha had agreed to give Alex and Nelly some technique pointers, but first we had to go "take a few runs."
He looks harmless enough, doesn't he?
I find that I have an odd habit of utilizing my head more (usually unintentionally) when I telemark at the resorts so the helmet is a permanent part of my lift-served tele setup. This guy is scoring pretty low on the style points...
American Fork Twin Peak--the dominant "ahhh inducer" of Snowbird.
This is the top of the Little Cloud chair lift. This is how you get to the top of Snowbird if you are too cheap to buy a tram pass. The elevation is just under 11,000 feet and the weather often reminds you of that fact. The rest of the resort was calm, sunny, and gorgeous, but the summit had raging winds all day. This is looking south towards American Fork Twin. The backside, Mineral Basin area drops off to the left.
Here's the big Russian laying his delightful Volkl F1's into the perfect hard pack. Now for the big letdown--there are no other action shots. The other attempts just didn't turn out (mostly white snow with no skiers...whoops). So you just have to trust me that we spent all morning arc'n 'em hard on repeated laps on Regulator Johnson. Each time we'd go, we'd watch the other one and try to give some feedback--but mostly just trying to out do our own previous run: faster, faster, harder, and faster : )
Determined to get some work done in the afternoon, I left around noon and left these guys to their own devices. Here Misha looks "innocently" at the camera, "Really, I'm not going to lay my F1's over even harder then the last run...honest."
Alex, Anton, me, and Nelly (just before I left).
Alex and Marie, suspended.
Alex and Stacy on top of "Regulator Johnson" for "just one more run."
Stacy...arc'n 'em.
Stacy and THE VIEW. Monte Cristo peak and Mt. Superior are just behind Stacy, across the valley.
Signing off,
