New Hampshire Snowboarding

Memories of 2009-10 New Hampshire Snowboarding at Loon Mountain - NH's Best Terrain Park

Saturday, April 10, 2010 by Kevin Bicknell

It’s that time of year again for terrain park snowboarding and skiing. The snow is melting and the season is unfortunately coming to a close. This however, is not to say the LMP is not still going off. The weather has been incredible lately. I’ve seen more shirtless dudes in the park in the past two weeks than I have in the rest of my life combined. At times I’ve stopped and wondered if I was in Lincoln, NH or Cancun, Mexico.

There’s something bittersweet about the end of the season, because while I love snowboarding, you will not find me complaining about the arrival of spring. Looking back at the season, despite the lack of cooperation from mother nature, this year was really a success for Loon Mountain's terrain parks.

In March, teams came out despite snow and wind for the Shop Showdown, which proved once again that not all contests have to be taken seriously. After monsoon conditions prior to Eastern Boarder’s Last Call, the park staff was able to construct some of the biggest and best terrain park features ever seen in the event’s ten-year history. '80s day is today, and there has been some talk amongst park staff and locals of an unofficial '80s day throwback halfpipe jam. Make sure to wear your most heinous fluorescent gear!

Eastern Boarder's Last Call - New England Snowboarders Throw Down

Friday, April 2, 2010 by Kevin Bicknell

After standing in the pouring rain all day Tuesday at another New Hamsphire mountain resort, I found myself praying that night for even the slightest bit of improvement on the previous day's weather. After all, for as long as I can remember it has been sunny and warm for Eastern Boarder’s Last Call at Loon Mountain. The event and sunshine almost go hand in hand. However, Mother Nature had different plans for the 10th anniversary of this now legendary event in New England snowboarding.

Despite cold temps and a howling wind, riders somehow found the motivation to huck themselves off the perfectly-sculpted (and now perfectly solidified) features crafted by one of the best terrain park crews in the country. I think the large cash prize may have had something to do with it.

The first of three events, the channel gap, was a throwback to the first year Loon held the event. While many stuck to merely hitting one side of the feature, a few brave souls sent it over the channel, ensuring that the judges took notice. Chelone Miller, Tim Humphries, Chas Guldemond, Brandon Reis, Jeremy Thompson, Shane Fortier Nick Julius and Greg Maxwell were a few of the standout riders in this first event. A special note of recognition must be paid to Tom Peplinski, who built the feature, then proceeded to stomp a frontside 7 off his toes over the channel. Tom rips.

The second event, the rhythm section, took place inside the channel of the channel gap, and while the features were scaled down a bit for this one, there was no shortage of carnage. It took many riders a few runs to get a feel for the course, but a few standouts like Ian Keay, Shaun Murphy, and Dylan Dragotta took to the rhythm section immediately, and their efforts were not overlooked. Greg Maxwell once again showed very little regard for his own safety, attempting to transfer from the lip of the channel gap into the rhythm section. Although he never quite rode it away, his antics definitely upped the stoke factor for everyone in attendance.

The final event, the quarterpipe, narrowed the field of competitors quite significantly. A select few chose to point it into the twenty-something-foot wall of ice, but those who did made their presence known. Though I can’t quite say who had the highest airs of the day, Chas Guldemond, Shane Fortier, Seth Learned, and Big Mike Gonsalves were consistently well above head height. Ian Keay and Henry Padden attempted some side-by-side handplants that almost resulted in Henry getting run over. All in all, the final event was a bit scary at times, but was the perfect conclusion to a near-perfect event.

When all was said and done, Shane Fortier took home the overall prize for the men, Mary Rand for the Women, while Greg Maxwell and young Jack Herald were presented with the “Bad Ass Awards” for throwing the most caution to the wind. Despite the less-than-ideal weather and snow conditions, Last Call 2010 was still a success, proving that on the east coast, riders are willing to throw down in New Hampshire's best terrain park at any given moment.

The Many Uses of Snow at a New Hampshire Family Ski Resort

Thursday, March 4, 2010 by Bud Scheller

Take a trip to your favorite New England ski area, or any ski resort for that matter, and you assume that there will be plenty of good skiing and snowboarding available. After watching patrons of my favorite New Hampshire family ski resort on and off for several weeks, I’ve noted there are a lot more uses for snow than just skiing and snowboarding. Some are pretty amusing to witness.

It really wasn’t much of a surprise to note that snow tubing is a fairly popular method of enjoying a snow-covered slope, but the different approaches to sitting in an oversized inner tube and sliding down a banked, well-groomed track are pretty funny. Seasoned veterans of the tubing track, usually around the age of 10, rip through the course like a bobsled driver in the Olympics--although at much slower pace--screaming and yelling with joy, and laughing all the way to the bottom of the run. Their less experienced parents, more often than not, casually make their way through the course at a leisurely rate of speed. They sort of remind me of folks out for a Sunday ride.

One group of youngsters looking for an alternative to skiing or riding, ditched their skis and snowboards and tried winter body surfing. All they needed was a small pile of snow, and room enough to lay down, lift their legs into the air and they were off. The run was short, just a matter of a few feet, but they were having fun. Obviously this form of getting down a slope can't and shouldn't be attempted where it would interfere with anyone on skis or a snowboard.

Snow also makes for great defensive fortifications. A group of kids, also apparently tired of skiing and riding for the day at this New Hampshire ski area, but not too worn out to break up into two groups, built some snow fortress walls and commenced taking turns charging the group making a stand behind the almost-well-constructed defensive snow barrier. The weapon of choice for both sides...what else but a handful of snowballs!

One of the cutest uses I noticed was a young child and her dad playing King of the Mountain out in front of one of the lodges. The little one kept trying to race to the peak of a 3-foot-high pile of snow only to be intercepted by her dad. Both would slip and slide down the hill tangled up in each other's arms, with the smaller of the two laughing and giggling the whole time. The little one always ended up on top and got the best of dad by the time they came to a stop at the bottom. She would smile and laugh some more and then beg to do it again! Nice to see.

Have a good one! -Bud

Work or pleasure?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 by Bud Scheller

One of the perks of working as the Snow Reporter at Loon Mountain, a New Hampshire family ski resort, is the opportunity to ski on a regular basis as part of your job. It’s pretty hard to accurately discuss snow conditions and trail attributes if you don’t sample the product on a regular basis. But believe it or not, there are times when getting out on the hill does seem like work, not pleasure. Take yesterday, for instance.

My basic morning duties were done early and I knew I should get out on the ski slopes to take Loon's website daily photo and check out a run or two on North Peak, some very popular ski terrain here at Loon Mountain. But, man did I dread the process of getting ready to go ski; I almost envisioned it as something akin to an astronaut getting geared up for a trip into space. Go down to the locker room, get my long johns and knee braces on. Ditch my jeans and get into ski pants and then climb back to the office and get into the ski boots. Geez, did this ever seem like a lot just for one, perhaps two, runs.

It would be a lot different if I were planning to spend the entire day skiing my favorite New Hampshire ski area, but that’s not the case. Did I mention that my office and my skis are at the top of a very narrow spiral staircase that was designed for people under six feet tall and ideally on the petite side...I’m neither, so getting out of the office and down to ground level is a chore in and of itself! Oh well, duty calls.

Somehow I managed to jump on the gondola 20 minutes before the NH ski resort officially opened to the public. Yup, opportunity for first tracks at a New Hampshire ski area--another perk! Halfway down Flying Fox I realized that I really needed people in my daily photo, and I was the only person on the mountain! I’d have to make at least one more run, find a picturesque spot, and get a shot of folks skiing and snowboarding down the ski slopes. Oh, the sacrifices we sometimes make.

Continuing the run down to the base of the North Peak Express ski lift started to erase the memory of all that work getting ready for “just a couple of runs”.   Still no one on the hill, ski trails are beautifully groomed and this is pretty sweet. Sure beats riding a desk!   Once at the summit, I hang around for a few minutes taking in the view and getting a couple of candidates for the photo of the day before heading down the Sunset trail. What a view from the top of that ski trail! You can see much of the New Hampshire ski area's other two peaks, much of town, and lots of vistas in all directions. This isn’t so bad!

Somehow the second--and planned--final run didn’t offer the daily photo shot I was looking for, so I made the supreme sacrifice and headed to the bottom for a third ride to the top and another run to the base area. Still only a few people on the hill and it felt like I was still making first tracks…I like this! To make a long story short, I managed to convince myself that I still had not taken the photo that I wanted and I really needed to make a couple more runs in an effort to get the right shot. The fact that I was having a ball and didn’t want to stop had nothing to do with it. Yeah, right!   Total runs: five. Daily photo: done. Continued complaints about all that bother getting ready to ski: none--until next time, but the results will be the same!

My Favorite Ski Resort

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 by Bud Scheller

Ask 10 people their favorite ski resort and you will most likely get a number of different responses, for any number of reasons. Personally, I have regional favorites--not that I’ve skied everywhere, just enough to have developed some likes and “like betters.” Let it be known that I never tried a ski mountain I didn’t like, kind of like Wil Rogers never met a man he didn’t like, I suppose.

But if pushed to select where I’d go if I had to pick one, my regional favorites are Loon Mountain, New Hampshire, for my New England ski resort; Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for my western U.S ski resort favorite; and Garmisch, Germany, for my European mountain resort favorite. Why did each of these make my list? Let me explain briefly.

Loon Mountain is far and away my favorite New Hampshire mountain resort--and New England ski resort for that matter--because of its outstanding snowmaking and grooming track record and the variety of its terrain. There is a little bit of everything at Loon Mountain, although I stay away from the bumps...creaky old knees and stiff joints have long eliminated them from the list of things that are fun for me.

Cruisers, yup they’re here--off three different peaks, and each offers its own unique form of excitement. My personal favorite is South Peak's aptly-named Cruiser, but Walking Boss on North Peak and Flying Fox off Loon Peak are running a close second. Steeps are plentiful, too, although I have to admit I have yet to ski the year-old, double-black diamond Rip Saw. I will, and it will be a blast! If terrain parks and halfpipes are your thing, look no further. Loon's terrain park and superpipe are among tops in the East for terrain park snowboarding and freeskiing.

Apres ski opportunities are plentiful at Loon, be it at the mountain in the name of the Bunyan Room, or in town…lots of options and all are good choices. Last but not least, there isn't an easier New England mountain resort to get to than Loon Mountain. Five minutes off of I-93 and you're at some of the best New England skiing and riding you can find.

Out West I favor Jackson Hole over runner-up Breckenridge, primarily because my youngest son lives there. The skiing opportunities and options at Jackson Hole are almost endless, from gentle cruisers on well-groomed packed powder trails, to “steeps and deeps” in some of the deepest powder you’ll ever see and the gnarliest out-of-bounds skiing anywhere on Earth. Nope, I stay out of those parts, but my son hits them with regularity and loves to tell me about his adventures. Obviously, it is great to be in your 20s!

The scenery at Jackson Hole is also a big attraction. It is simply breathtaking, and something that makes you stop several times on a run for the pure enjoyment of taking it all in. Off-mountain options are great too, with the Mangy Moose and the Village Café (a favorite of the Jackson Hole Air Force) being two fun places to end the day.

Once in Europe, I love Garmisch, especially the Hausberg slopes on the village side of the Zugspitz (Germany’s highest peak). The skiing is quite similar to Loon Mountain, with the major difference being the apres ski, Bavarian-flavored gast haus fun at the end of the day. Local music, some yodeling and the oompah bands will have you staying up well past your normal bedtime, but who cares, it is fun! Learn a few words of German and you fit right in with everyone else.

As I said at the beginning, I enjoy all ski resorts for one reason or another, but these three top my list. I hope many of you have had the opportunity to visit one or more of the three, but if not, put it in your “bucket list.” You won’t be disappointed!

Just Another Day at the Office.

Monday, February 1, 2010 by Stacy Lopes

Working at a New Hampshire ski resort can certainly have its advantages. Monday is my day to take the picture of the day, snow report and such. Last Monday was a complete 180 of today (remember the brief January thaw…). Now it’s February 1, and the blue skies and sounds of the snow guns were calling me: “Stacy, come ski Picaroon,” “No, come over to Lower Flume,” “Chase your shadow on Upper Picked…” I decided not to disappoint so I did all of the above.

Having the Gondola just a spiral staircase away is probably the best perk at this New Hampshire ski mountain. I jumped on the Gondola and headed over to Lower Flume. The bumps are groomed out while we blast the trail with more snow. Let's just say, lots of fun making nice long carving turns down skiers left on Flume. I will return next week to beat up my knees in the new bumps.

I then hopped on the North Peak Quad and let the sun warm my face. Sunset to Bear Claw Extension to Upper Picked. When I got to Grand Junction, I stopped for a minute to think, “Where, from here??” Snow guns are lined all the way down Picaroon, one of my favorite trails. As I started down, I wimped out and headed for Seven Brothers. But then my “Are you serious?” attitude kicked in, and I cut over back to Picaroon just under the Seven Brothers unload. Tightened my goggles, and went for it- straight through the snow guns. Who says the best snow falls from the sky? After that run, I think the best snow comes right from our snowmakers…

I leave you today with a shout out to basically the best terrain park crew on the planet. This past weekend we hosted the Gatorade Free Flow Tour. The event is quickly becoming one of the most prestigious amateur events in New England snowboarding. You may recall that the high on Saturday was about 8-degrees. Yesterday, I think it reached 18. These guys did an incredible job, and were always on top of their game. I couldn't ask to be part of a better team.

Make sure to get out and ski (or snowboard) in the very near future... Perhaps you could make the picture of the day! -Stacy Lopes

Independence Weekend

Thursday, January 14, 2010 by Stacy Lopes

I can hardly believe that it's already Independence Weekend here at Loon Mountain. Wasn't it just yesterday that Santa was here in New Hampshire skiing??

Independence Weekend has to be one of the longest running traditions at any New England ski resort. We are all about celebrating our snow and our snowmakers, and the highlight for sure is the Fireworks Display and Torchlight Parade on Saturday evening, January 16, starting at 7:00 p.m. Below is the full schedule of events for the weekend:

Saturday
Uncle Sam on Stilts-throughout the resort all day
Mo the Clown in the Governor’s Lodge 3:00-6:00pm
Radio Disney with fun family activities in the Governor's Lodge 4:30 pm
Bud Light Apres Ski Party at Babe's and Bunyan Room 2:30pm
Snowcat Rides, line up at Kanc Quad 4:30-6:45pm
Torchlight Parade and Fireworks 7:00pm

Sunday
Uncle Sam on Stilts-throughout the resort all day
Bud Light Apres Ski Party at Babe's and Bunyan Room 2:30pm

Another little FYI-Our park crew has been working all week building out the rest of Loon Mountain Park. I got a great preview this morning when we were shooting our Thursday b-roll. I know I'm a little partial, but I think we have one of the best terrain parks in New England snowboarding! So meet us on Sunday at noon for Fun! Day in Park. It will take place at the new 1/4 pipe located just above our Superpipe. And did I mention it's the ONLY superpipe open in New Hampshire???

With so much going on this weekend, why not book a Ski and Stay package? Check out the lodging options on our website for the best in New Hampshire ski packages.

I hope you like our new blog. I am super excited that I have another way to tell my stories, and keep you updated with all the fun things happening at Loon!! -Stacy