04.01.2011 | 17:46 GTS TIME Sometimes it only takes 2 h of driving to find completely different conditions... and so it was, LOS second day out!
17.12.2010 | 20:44 LEGS OF STEEL 2011 Thomas and I had our first day filming today! It was a beautiful day and amazing fun out there! Stoked to be back from my injury and looking forward to the season!!
14.12.2010 | 23:02 DOWNDAYS STORYBOOK The new DOWNDAYS STORYBOOK IS AVAILABLE.
Get it here:
http://www.downdays.eu/freeski/downdays-journal/
23.01.2009 | 09:38 AESTIVATION SHOOTING #1/09 Diedamskopf We finally got the snow and the weather again. And we could do our first Aestivation shooting in 2009.
It was epic, is all I can say.
19.01.2009 | 11:00 BOGNER SHOOTING ST.MORITZ Finally it was time to leave SunValley and I flew straight to Europe for the Bogner Shooting in St.Moritz.
As usual it was pretty spectacular!
04.01.2009 | 18:51 POW IN SUN VALLEY? YEAH THAT´S RIGHT Finally in SunValley for Christmas. It snowed like 60 cm (2.5 feet) of fresh pow the night we got here!! I planed on leaving right after Christmas but since it just stayed good and I was skiing pow for more than 10 days straight i just never left!!!
Photos: Lynsey Dyer
03.01.2009 | 20:00 BACK OVER THE OCEAN SO, after a few good days of pow it started to rain in Europe and so I went back to the US. At least the airplane allowed me to write a blog. Even though we traveled for ever after having an emergency landing in Edmonton which made our 10 h flight an 17 h flight and got us stuck in SanFrancisco till the next day.....
02.01.2009 | 19:35 BACK IN SNOWY EURO I finally decided that i have to go back to Europe after hearing all the good stories from home. My week before Christmas payed off and I got to ski some pow at Zauchensee. yeahyyyy
01.01.2009 | 18:00 IDAHO no u´daho Sorry for slacking with my updated. I guess i can say i have been busy shredding pow lately!! Finally, because it took a while this year. After an epic start at Arlberg i headed to Jackson Hole to find nothing but gras.
So I spend time on the farm with the cowboys instead.
23.11.2008 | 11:26 First Day Pow season 2008/09 We finally got what we have been waiting for and it snowed more than a meter (4feet) of snow over the weekend. And we sure got to enjoy it today. Below some impressions! Pics: Sven
11.11.2008 | 11:11 downdays.eu is online!!!!!!!! It is the 11/11/2009 and since this morning at 11: 11 am downdays.eu has officially been online!!!!
10.11.2008 | 17:14 END OF SEASON TRIP ITALY I just got back from a last MotoX trip to Italy. Together with my buddies Björn, Lars, Manuel and Tim we enjoyed those warm sunny days in Italy to take some laps.
Photos: Sven Kueenle
28.10.2008 | 12:19 GYM Time Today I would like to feature the Sportschule FFB-Puch. It is the training facility where I have been training for the past few years and those guys helped me and other athletes a lot.
Thanks to Lenz and his team.
11.10.2008 | 12:16 Atomic Catalog Shooting AUT The season is about to kick off in Europe and I just had my first days in Europe, doing some turns in Austria at the Kitzsteinhorn.
Pic: Lynsey Dyer
08.09.2008 | 18:13 ALPINE INITIATIVES When I was in Alaska this year I heard about this project in Africa from my friends JP and Mikey. Together with Seth Koch and Chad Fleischer they founded the AlpineInitiatives. In short: A small group in the snow sports community has come together with the intention to help those people who are less fortunate. Their first project will be in Africa.
Together with a few other people I am joining the group in Kenya in order to help build an Amani Community Home (ACH).
Please check out www.alpineinitiatives.org for more information.
06.09.2008 | 12:38 CHILE Right now I am in Chile with Chris Benchetler, Darron Ralphs, Adam Clark ( Photo ) and Jordan Judd ( Atomic ) to shoot the new Atomic Catalog. The trip has been great so far with lots of sun and pow. Check out the photos.
06.09.2008 | 12:36
30.07.2008 | 14:17 SUMMER ACTIVITIES
05.06.2008 | 13:31 Spring Time Finally, I am back home. Playing and enjoying the summer in Munich.
Photo: Richard Walch
06.04.2008 | 07:36 SECOND FIRST BIRTHDAY After a slow morning with a sun and cloud mix we finally made it up the mountain at like 2 30 pm. We are in Alaska, trying to get shots. It is Saturday April 5th.After doing a mellower run, Julien, Fab and I picked lines at G-Tower. The challenge was to get us up on top of our line. Our Pilot Al, who is the most amazing pilot had to do a toe in to get us out. He dropped of Fab and myself at the same spot so we could get to our lines from there. Fab went out first when I got out I sank into a hole all the way to my chest. When the heli took off Fab and I were on this ridge no wider than a dinner table with a big cornice on one side and overhanging rime on the other. The backside of the face scared me even more. At this point we were like 2 1/2 meters behind the edge of the cornice standing on rocks. To get to our lines we had to walk along the ridge with exposure on both sides. We decided to go one by one. While Fabien was still sitting at the drop off I grabbed my skis to get to my line. Both, Fab and I agreed that this is very bad and we just wanted to get out of there. So I start walking.I tried to be right in the middle of the ridge so I would be on rocks. After doing 3 steps I just heard this whooompf and feel the ground moving at the same time. The cornice broke all the way, back to right above the rocks so even Fabien had to fight to not fall. For me it was to late, I had no change to hold on and just felt how I was about to do a big backflip over the first cliff with the entire cornice coming down. Even though I was moving incredibly fast everything seemed to be in slow motion and while I was all mad that my life is already gonna end I was just feeling so bad for my parents. I had bad impacts and lots of airtime and completely lost the orientation to where up or down was. I kept waiting for this hard impact onto rocks that is going to turn of the light. I finally realized I must have made it over all the rocks. I was now fighting hard to not get buried. My mouth was full of snow which didn´t allow me to breath. I tried to just stay on the surface as I kept getting hit by big junks of snow which were trying to push me back down. I came to a stop all the way at the bottom with not a lot of snow covering me and I could get out myself. I was just as surprised as Mo, our filmer, when I could tell thru the radio that I was fine.
I looked around and saw some of the gear I took down with me, the skis were broken or buried, Fabs pole snaped in half. But when I looked back up I saw that Fabien is still up there. He could hold on to the rocks when the cornice broke and found himself on this exposed cliff with pretty much no snow anymore. The Helicopter with Julien and Hovey (our guide) in it kept flying above Fabien to figure out a rescue plan over the radio. Fabien couldn´t get back up to where the Helicopter could have gotten him so he decided to climb down. He didn´t have his gear anymore, his skis came down with me. He started climbing down this nargly face. He made it past the first cliff before he slipped and started tomahawking down the rest of the face. Seeing Fab coming down like this, over all the exposure, was one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen. Luckily he was fine just like me. And we both walked away with tiny scratches on our noses.
Experiencing something like that makes you realize how human beings are just these tiny creatures and messing with nature can just snuff you out way faster than you expect it. Photo: Elina Sirparanta
25.03.2008 | 15:33 BigMountainCenter Opening at Kicking Horse This past weekend I went to Kicking Horse in Golden BC to check out the opening of the Big Mountain Center. It is a great opportunity to get educated and learn how to use your backcoutry gear properly.
Thanks to Scott from Red Bull for the great weekend. Pictures Copyright Bryan Ralph
23.03.2008 | 15:36 GUIDE SCHOOL ALASKA The past month I spend in Haines Alaska and did the Guide School.It was a great experience and I can only recommend it to anyone who likes to go out in the backcountry. You can never learn enough about the backcounty, avalanges and rescue. The guide school made me realize how little I know about what I do. The Class included WAFA ( Wilderness Advanced First Aid), Avalanche Calss Level 1, Rope and Cravasse Rescue as well as Helicopter Safty. Thanks to all the guides, teachers and Alaska Heliskiing and Michelle Parker for the photos.
14.02.2008 | 13:44 RED BULL COLD RUSH 08 I just returned from the Red Bull Cold Rush and it was the by far best comp i have ever been to. It consisted of the three main elements of Skiing. Hiking up, skiing down and jumping.
Day 1 was the Slopestyle, where Anthony Boronowski, JP and Sean Petit killed it.
Day 2 was the big mountain competition down Mt. Roberts and Dave Treadway destroyed it. The youngest competitor Sean showed the old guys what´s up by throwing the biggest and most impressive 360 down the last cliff.
The last day was the hardest, the hike to Mt. Roberts. The times variated from 1:11 h which was achieved by Mr. Dave " hiking mashine" Treadway and 2:19 h. And with reaching the summit a successful event ended. For next years summit hike it is important to watch out for JP, since he has got some serious plans and training ideas plus a gear list that might improve his time by 10 min.
15.01.2008 | 11:59 German does back flip in the "Mausefalle"! Kitzbuehel/Hahnenkamm/Freerider Sven Küenle pulls off incredible stunt on the Streif piste
German does back flip in the “Mausefalle”!
German freerider Sven Küenle conquered the famous "Mausefalle" with a back flip on Kitzbuehel's Streif piste on Monday. After crashing on his first attempt Küenle landed safely on his second try down the ice-covered slope as former ski ace Hansi Hinterseer watched in admiration from the sidelines.
The “Mausefalle” (mousetrap) on the legendary "Streif" in Kitzbuehel is considered to be among the most challenging sections on any race course in Alpine skiing, a piste that can make even the world’s most fearless skiers feel a bit queasy. Almost instantly after the start the racers hit speeds of up to 100 km/h on a 45-degree steep slope that is often covered by a sheet of ice.
Sven Küenle, a 24-year-old German, conquered this awe-inspiring slope in dramatic fashion -- with a back flip the instant he hit the ridge. The man from Munich, who is considered one of the top freeriders in the world, had built a small ramp in the morning and then sailed through the jump with the back flip. He crashed on the first attempt after his binding opened up on the hard landing. Küenle then went straight back up to the top of the slope for a second try – and completed the feat with a safe landing. “I’ve got all the respect in the world for this guy,” said Hansi Hinterseer, who was by chance an eyewitness to the spectacular leap.
Küenle admitted that the jump was the outer limit of as far as he dares to go. “I wasn’t thinking about anything else all weekend long and my pulse rate was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before,” he said.
It was only fitting that the Stuttgart native, who learned the basics of freeriding while a young skiing racer and has since appeared in a number of video clips from Willy Bogner, skied down the rest of the slope wearing the German national team downhill uniform “to show my respect for the downhill skiers who are the true greats of their sport.”
For further pictures, web and TV material you can register at:
www.euro-newsroom.com
Pictures free of charge only for editorial use: Andreas Schaad, Stefan Stau for Euro-Newsroom.com
29.12.2007 | 13:52 COMFY BOOTS AND BACK TO POWDER having comfortable boots is extremly important for skiing. And since we have had such a good winter so far, I skied enough to make my feet hurt.
Having a heat gun makes a big difference of wether enjoying a powder day or being in pain...
Have a good one out there.
By the way, I took the powder photo on November 11.
29.12.2007 | 13:51
21.11.2007 | 18:31 ATOMIC TAKES YOU TO THE EUROPEAN FREESKIING OPEN TO LAAX If you want to be taken to the European Open to Laax from the 13th till the 16th of March 2008, enjoying 3 nights at the RIDERS PALACE and a DINNER with JOSSI WELLS as well as receiving 3 lift passes, then check this out:
On the occasion of the limited teamski NOTORIOUS, which has been designed by the top Atomic athletes, Atomic offers you to take part at their " Atomic takes you to the European Open lottery".
All you have to do is go to one of the listed shops, fill in the Atomic lottery cards and send them to Atomic. If you are not in Germany you can simply go online to www.atomicfreeskiing.com and try your luck.
Lottery cards are also available in the skiing Magazine issue Dec.07
The lottery ends on the 4th of Jan 08 so make sure you get on it.
Here are the selected shops that have the limited NOTORIOUS available.
HANDMADE Alstergalcis 18 20354 Hamburg
Tel: 040 / 440867
SKIHALLE ALLROUNDER An der Skihalle 1 41472 Neuss
Tel: 02131 / 1244251
SPORT TRATTLER (Skihütte) Weitseestr. 13 83242 Reit im Winkel
Tel: 08640 / 8509
CYPRESS WEARHOUSE Gabelsbergerstr. 1 83278 Traunstein
Tel: 0861 / 164526
SPORT & MODE Gerlspeck Lange Zeile 6 85435 Erding
Tel: 08122 / 8802040
FÖRG-DAS SPORTHAUS Bgm.-Auernhammer-Str. 22 86119 Augsburg-Göggingen
Tel: 0821 / 906210
SPORT SCHINDELE Marktplatz 4 87671 Ronsberg
Tel: 08306 / 9759400
Good Luck!!!!
Picture: Richard Walch Ski: ATOMIC NOTORIOUS
11.11.2007 | 20:52 Winter started Today I went skiing and couldn´t believe how much snow there was.
This weekend a storm hit the north Alps with more than 3 feet of snow. Below a shot I took on the Autobahn just before skiing.
03.10.2007 | 18:00 FREESKI KICK OFF AT SPORT UTZINGER If you are gonna be in Germany this weekend make sure to check out the Freeski kick off in Geretsried.
What´s gonna be there:
The Atomic Freeski Academy will learn you freeskiing.
Trampolins will be there where you can have a lot of fun and work on your air sense for skiing. If you show your skills in a contest session you will be able to win prices.
Together with Max Kroneck , the German Freeskiing Champion at big air 2006 and Max Dettenkofer from the Atomic Freeski team.
I will be there myself for signing posters on sunday at 3 pm.
Don´t miss it!
When:
Sunday, October 7th 1pm-6pm.
Where:
Egerlandstr. 65 in Geretsried
German Version:
Alle die am Wochenende in Deutschland sind sollten das Freeski kick off in Geretsried nicht verpassen.
Wann:
Am Sonntag, den 7.Oktober 2007
15h Autogrammstunde mit Sven Kueenle
Wo:
In Geretsried, Egerlandstr. 65
Ab 15h werde ich dort sein um Autogramme zu geben, die Atomic Freeski Academy lernt dir Freeskiing, sammle dazu deine ersten Freeskierfahrungen auf dem Trampolin, was super hilft für dein " air sense". Bei einem kleinen Contest hast du die Möglichkeit deine Skills zu zeigen und Sachpreise zu gewinnen.
Spaß für die "younstars" und die "oldschoolers" ist garantiert!!
Hier startet der Winter, zusammen mit Max Kroneck, dem Deutschen Freeskimeister im Big Air 2006 und Max Dettenkofer vom Atomic Freeskiteam.
Die Atomic Freeski Academy und Rudi Utzinger mit seinem Team freuen sich auf euch.
Also, nicht verpassen!!
26.09.2007 | 20:18 QUEBEC CITY
18.09.2007 | 00:17 IF 3 FILM FESTIVAL IN MONTREAL I finally left Europe again and headed to Montreal for the Film Festival. The Festival took place for the first time ever. A big part of the skiing community came together to experience it. And if some of us took the opportunity to go out partying a lot ( right Chris) others watched the new films. I only saw PNW from Jeff Thomas , Tanners Movie, Ibergs, the TGR and Tyler Hamlets and Johnny DeCesares "yeah dude". I was definitely enjoying them all and wouldn´t wanna judge which one is best.
21.08.2007 | 04:49 OFFICE WORK Sorry for no update in such a long time. Ever since the High North Ski Camp my summer has been really not that exciting at all. The picture basically describes pretty well how fun my activities were all August.
I spend a weekend in Essen( Ger) where I went to a gospl concert, which was awesome.
And check ou the new videos I really like Hannes´s Fashion show and maybe somebody can tell me what Hannes is trying to point out with this video.
05.07.2007 | 5:44 RedBull Elevation Right now I am in Whistler for the High North Ski Camp.
On the 1st of July I got to check out the Red Bull Elevation.
Deng, it is amazing what those guys do on their little bikes.
And the fact that it was Canada day explains that goofy hat.
Pictures: Michelle Parker
04.05.2007 | 11:48 Iceland From the 13th till the 19th of April I went to Iceland to shoot some images for the ISPO 08. Despite the long shooting days we had a good crew and good times. It is fascinating how the weather changes half-hourly. We travel a lot every day in order to find good spots to shoot at, according to this we happened to see a lot of nice places like the Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir, nice beaches with black sand and cool glaciers.
Part of the crew was Martina Dvorak, Richard Walch, Christian Stadler, Herwig Halun, Christel Thoresen, Per Loken, Seb Garhammer, Caja Schoepf and myself.
Check out the images below, thanks to Christian Stadler for sending me a few shots, I tried to compensate for my bad photos.
29.03.2007 | 06:32 Mustang Powder Cat Skiing Just returned from a cat skiing trip to the mustang powder lodge somewhere in Canada closed by Revelstoke. After the first day we were really worried since the snow was anything but good. The second day made things look completely different and it just didn´t stop dumping. By the end of the trip we have been shredding tons of pow and found lots of really good zones, thanks to Herbert our guide, who made this trip such a pleasure for us. Herb is 63 and the coolest guide I have ever had. He knew exactly what we wanted to do, showed us the best spots and even tried to push us to do even harder runs. Thanks Herbert.
Part of the crew was Josh Stack and Brandon Kelly, representing Atomic. The filmer was Moritz Garhammer and Chris Christie took the photos for us. The crew was great, everyone did an awesome job and at the end we could get a bunch of stuff done. Looking at the pictures you can see that we had all we needed to make it happen.
Thanks to the whole crew.
27.02.2007 | 11:01 Red Bull Play Streets the Comp So finally the Contest was held. It didn´t look good a week ago because there was and still is so snow at all. The organisiers and shapers did a wicked job and made it happen. Those of you who were there will probably agree that it was a really good event. I think it was a great opportunity to bring our sport to those who don´t know anything about it. There were so many people who would never go to see a skiing comp, but since it was right there outside their door, they watched and enjoyed it. Thanks to those who were working really hard this past weeks.
Thanks to the famous Photographer Richard Walch for the photos.
27.02.2007 | 11:00
10.02.2007 | 02:39 RED BULL PLAY STREETS If you are in Europe on the 24th of February you should come to Bad Gastein AUT and check out the Red Bull Play Streets, it is gonna be a cool event. Check out www.redbull.at and look for red bull play streets.
See you there!
05.02.2007 | 03:00 TREADSHOW TIME From the 22nd till the 25th there was the SIA in Las Vegas and now Ispo. I took this Photo of some guy sleeping on a little bench in Las Vegas, oh yeah , tread shows are tiring, that guy shows it clearly.
05.02.2007 | 02:59 Las Vegas for SIA
22.01.2007 | 02:04 US OPEN From the 19th till the 22nd of January I was at the US Open.
I did great with taking pictures and got one shot. On the picture you see Gangster Grete Eliason and Meg Olenik. I only saw the halfpipe comp and Grete was skiing really good. Nice one Grete.
Those who saw the comp are probably gonna agree that Tanners pipe run was really impressive.
For the most part of the US Open I was hanging out with my friend Cody and saw the bottom of my beer cup a lot.
05.01.2007 | 02:47 Whistler I am in Whistler with Julien , Elina, JP, Anthony, Michelle and Taylor.
The best decision I did in 2006 was probably coming here on the 29th of December. Even though snowmobiling will always be a pain in the ass and it took me only one day till I had to bring my sled in the shop, I am glad I finally got to feel some fresh snow under my skis. Yeahh powder!
20.12.2006 | 06:20 NO SNOW It is almost Christmas and it still didn´t snow at all in Europe.
This is in Laax, the resort where the European Open will be and it snowed maybe 15 cm so far. Below Nico and me trying to find something we could do with what we got...
20.12.2006 | 06:26 Bomb Drop ... so there is not much more to do besides playing with little dogs and doing some bomb drops. Merry Christmas to all of you!
03.12.2006 | 10:00 AIR AND STYLE And once more Munich was having the air and style.
I just arrived and was still looking for a good seat when I turned arround and saw David Benedek doing a double cork 1080. He stomped it pefectly ! From this moment on it didn´t stop, the event was awesome, the riders where riding on an extrem high level and it was just great to watch it!!
Below some action, the photo taken by Richard Walch
21.11.2006 | 03:08 PARAGLIDING On sunday I was checking out my friend Michael Knipping, he does acro paragliding and came 2nd at the last world championships. That guy is sick, what he does is impressive.
Thanks to Michael for taking me for a paragliding flight!
05.11.2006 | 01:29 Rail Battle hm, I guess some of the skiers were protesting which caused that the organizers moved the skiers comp to 7 pm.
Well this caused that our poaching session kind of missed the point, but anyway....
04.11.2006 | 03:48 POACHING THE POW WOW RAIL BATTLE This weekend there is the POW WOW RAIL BATTLE in Augsburg Germany. The set up doesn´t look bad at all. So, this is a snowboarding AND skiing event, except the organizers seem to not be down with skiiers so they decided to maybe do the skiing comp in the morning when nobody will be there anyway.....
Plus they gave Richard Walch a B- Media-Pass, I mean common!!!
Anyway, in order of all that, the photographer and friend Richard Walch and I did our 007 poaching session at 6:20 am.
02.11.2006 | 10:19 DTM Hockenheim Last weekend I was at the DTM in Hockenheim. Holy moly, this was impressive. DTM was probably the sickest I have seen in motor sports so far.
27.10.2006 | 04:13 TO GOOD PEOPLE In April 06 I happened to be in Barcelona (Spain). It was on the 4th of the month when I was supposed to fly back to Germany. I was on my way to the airport, waiting for the bus at plaza espana. I had a bunch of stuff with me including my computer bag. After I have been waiting for like 5 minutes three guys came up to me, grabbed my computer bag and ran. I ran after the guys full of adrenaline and caught two of the guys in the underground to the subway. Sure enough I was in a bad spot, the guys stoped turned around and now ran after me....
Needless to say, I never again saw my computer including diary and passport . By getting mugged that day I lost all my digital files I had. All pictures of the past 4 years. ( In January some idiots broke into my Truck in Whistler and stole my back up) . I had some tough days to get over it.
About two weeks later I got an email which ended up in my junk mail folder, the subject was " stoled iBook G4?" and I couldn´t believe it, read
the mail and seriously got an email from some guy who obviously had my computer. I never learned the guys name because he never told me, I don´t know anything about this person, the only thing I know is that he made it possible that I got some of my files back.
He connected my computer to a server or s.th. so that I was able to excess my computer and download some of the most important lost files. I truely wanna thank the person who did this for me. Even though I never found out his name - Thank you.
23.10.2006 | 12:59 Skiing INDOOR This weekend I was invited for a skishow in Hamburg ( GER). Together with Nico and Martin and a bunch of snowboarders, we had a wicked weekend. The crew was fantastic, so much fun with the boys. Big thanks to Björn Willemsen who made our weekend one of those you won´t forget in a while.
11.10.2006 | 02:03 JP Today I got an email from JP. What I found after I opened the mail just made my day! ... JP what shall I do with you..!!
10.10.2006 | 01:31 BACK ON SNOW This weekend I was back on snow. It´s been a while and it feld so good.
I got to ski with my friends Alex and Bernd and many other guys. Skiing with friends is so fun, I love it.
01.10.2006 | 00:00 Gardening Our late summer is great, a good time to dig out some potatoes.
