Vail's Mountain Haus

The evolving snowboard by Lauren Moran

2012-02-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

The 1970s and '80s demonstrated a high level of creativity in snowboard construction and design. Winterstick's Roundtail and Swallowtail models were a major evolution as they had foot straps, leashes, sidecut and P-Tex (polyethylene) bases. Robert Weber's Incredible Flying Banana was high-density polyethylene with a skateboard deck attached. Skosh prototypes used hydraulically laminated Baltic birch plywood veneers from Russia with fiberglass in between layers for flexibility and durability.

Surf and skateboard theory played heavily in snowboard construction. Jake Burton experimented with surfboard-style construction in prototypes, using foam and fiberglass, rounded top rails, fins and various tails. Tom Sims used fiberglass, different bases (including a red polyester resin base), and his 1985 Terry Kidwell Roundtail Pro Model brought a distinctive skate-inspired style to snowboarding with a revolutionary kick tail design.

Snowboard construction took on a series of unique features, continuing to draw from other sports. Snowtech used golf spikes for traction and two rubber straps as a foot hold, and in 1979 incorporated camber, a slight kick-tail and “wings” inspired by a boat design. Their Omega model drew from the Olin Mark IV Competition ski, featuring a laminated wood deck and fiberglass “runner.”

Gnu kept their design emphasis on riding hard pack and carving turns on edge, using a channeled base, ski-inspired shape and several fins. Gnu's deep sidecut would later be adopted across the entire industry and gave them an incredible edge for resort riding. Burton's Powder Gun 1984 experimental series is the first Burton board to ever have metal edges, also important for hard pack performance.

Looking to build an “indestructible” snowboard, Mike Troppman and Butch Bendele built Ultimate Control Boards from a single sheet of Tivar 1000, pure ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. Early 1980s Avalanche boards were made of mahogany door skin veneers with Formica tops and bases, and Myron Knapschafer created a nonstick surface, Hiper-Slick, for snowboard bases instead of P-Tex.

Bindings have evolved dramatically, with many early boards using creative solutions for foot retention; the Sims 150 Pro Model Skiboard in the late 1970s used a bungee cord strap. However, the 1980s ushered in an era of binding experimentation and improvement. Binding systems for use with hard shell boots were developed by Avalanche and Myron Knapschafer of Hiper Snowboards. Additionally, the Snowtech Quantum used an integrated track binding system inspired by windsurf-binding technology.

The mid-1980s proved to be a turning point for binding systems, as several different innovators developed highbacks. Louis Fornier experimented with integrated, fold-down highbacks in eastern Canada. Prop Highback Bindings, an early design, were created by Matt Donovan. Jeff Grell made 30 Hi-Baks, a device worn on the ankle over the boot, which inspired Sims to include integrated highbacks on his boards. Matt Nipper built a skiboard with one of the earliest examples of an integrated highback binding. Years later, Technine developed a binding meant to create a loose, skateboard-style ride, allowing the board to flex completely.

Many companies were widening boards, including the Burton Backhill, a 1983 Gnu 5-Fin prototype, and mid-1980s Swift snowboards, to allow for flotation in powder. By the 1990s, board length was increasing as well, seen in Quinn Sandvold and Perry Coleman's 1992 board, Nitro Diablo 186. Aggression's TR70 Tarquin Robbins Pro Model, following the longer length trend, helped launch the new school “skate style” movement with an asymmetrical design and deeper cut on the heel side than on the toe side.

More recently, Lib Tech (formed by Gnu's Mike Olson and Pete Saari) introduced a serrated edge concept in 1997 and received a patent for Banana Technology in 2005, their unique combo of rocker and camber.

With so much change in technology and equipment design, snowboarding evolved a great deal throughout the '80s and into the ‘90s, using experimentation, creativity and innovation.

Vail DOES have history

2011-11-22T11:36:00.001-08:00

The Ute Indians first inhabited the Gore Creek Valley long before white settlers moved west. The valley offered a cool summer retreat for Indians and during the harsh winters they moved to the arid lands of Western Colorado. The Utes nicknamed the Gore Range “The Shining Mountains.” By the mid 1800’s the first white settlers arrived in the Gore Valley, forcing the Indians to flee. The area became home to ranchers with grazing stock.

When World War II began, the United States Army created a training center south of the Gore Valley at Pando called Camp Hale. The 10^th Mountain Division trained for alpine combat here. The 10th Mountain troops fought in northern Italy and upon return, they became major players in the quickly growing ski industry.

A veteran of the 10th Mountain Division, Peter Seibert, returned to Colorado after the war with injuries. Despite this, he was able to return to skiing and became a member of the Aspen Ski Patrol, Aspen Ski School and eventually the manager of Loveland Basin Ski Area by the late 1950’s. While at Loveland, Pete and Earl Eaton began looking to develop another ski area in the Rocky Mountain region. While looking for uranium, Earl discovered a possible area outside of Gore Valley.

Earl Eaton, a Colorado native, began skiing at a young age. By 1940, Eaton was working for the Conservation Corps camp in Glenwood Springs and ski racing in Aspen. In 1941, he headed to Leadville to work in the mines, which eventually led him to Camp Hale for construction. His early jobs in the ski industry included Climax Ski Area and Cooper Hill.

Eaton eventually went back to Aspen where he worked four ten years building chairlifts, trails, and ski patrolling. Seibert and Eaton first climbed Vail Mountain during the winter of 1957. Both agreed that this would be the perfect ski area and Seibert began to look for potential investors.

Vail Mountain was property of The United States Forest Service (USFS)and local ranchers owned the surrounding valley. To get the ski area rolling, Seibert and Eaton needed something that neither of them had, money. Seibert called lawyers Bob Fowler and Jack Tweedy, appraiser John Conway, and oilman George Caulkins of Denver. Fowler and Tweedy were able to create a corporation needed to get the ski area moving, while Conway was able to convince local ranchers to sell their property. To obtain a permit from the USFS Vail needed to have one million dollars in the bank. Caulkins was able to through investors raise the money with a little persuasion. Investors into Caulkins deal paid 10,000 dollars for a condo unit and a lifetime season pass.

With the USFS granting their operating permit, Vail’s opening day was set for December 15, 1962. During the summer of 1962, construction crews were busy erecting a Bell gondola from Vail Village to Mid Vail, two chairlifts, condos, and base facilities. Luckily, that fall Colorado experienced a late winter, allowing for most structures to near completion.

To the ski area’s disappointment, the warm winter continued into December producing marginal conditions for opening day. The first year, ticket prices were set at five dollars. The ski company consisted of one gondola, two chairs, eight ski instructors, and nine ski runs. One of Vail’s biggest assets was it was only half the driving distance from Denver to Aspen.

U.S. Ski Team in Vail next week!....snow too?!

2011-10-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

U.S. Ski Team heads home to train at Vail.

Vail and Beaver Creek will get a serious natural boost this week. It also seems that the temperatures will remain cold to keep everything Mother nature and the guns throw down

Next week, Vail’s Lindsey Vonn and Ted Ligety, who also won races in Soelden, Austria last week will likely be training at Vail’s Golden Peak Fall Training Arena. World Cup racers will train slalom and giant slalom there at least until the next World Cup races.

“They're all flying home now and will be on snow as early as possible in Colorado,” U.S. Ski Team chief press officer Doug Haney said today via email. “Likely Nov. 2 will be day one at Vail, and Copper is still in flux.”

A STRONG WINTER-LIKE STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH COLORADO BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM WILL SWEEP SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT REACHING COLORADO BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. MILD TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL RESULT IN SNOW BEING CONFINED TO ELEVATIONS ABOVE 9000 FEET INITIALLY. HOWEVER...A MUCH COLDER AIR MASS WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE FRONT CAUSING THE SNOW LEVEL TO LOWER TO MOUNTAIN BASES SHORTLY AFTER ITS PASSAGE. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL APPROACH NEAR ONE FOOT ON THE HIGHEST ELEVATION ON WEST FACING SLOPES OR NEAR MOUNTAIN PASSES.

Vail vs. Deer Valley Comparison?

2011-10-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my Pop came over from Park City….no skiing yet at either place, Vail or Deer Valley, but you can tell it’s not long. Every time he comes over he wears that damn Deer Valley hat. He’s proud. He worked there and skis there(already bought his pass). The day he went back home from our visit they announced Deer Valley is #1…again. Of course he called and emailed and texted it over. It’s been going on for years now…who has the first snow(you can ski on) who’s #1..the chili at Empire…blah, blah, blah. I’ve skied Deer Valley a lot over the years…and the new area by the Montage is nice(when there’s snow)…I like it steep and deepJ I know I’m probably not the first, but just once I would like to bring my snowboard to DV, put it in the racks and hear what people would say. Yes, the customer service is great, but more than once was I shuttled to the back of the parking lot only to carry my own skis to the base, unlike the perception that everyone gets their boots heated by the staff and have a happy ending before hitting the first chair. Yep…it’s #1,voted on by the readers of SKI. But do they know? Maybe they don’t. My Pop knows. No matter how much he won’t stop talking about Deer Valley and it’s #1….when he comes over to the valley to ski with me and my boys….he sees, there is NO comparison. It’s 2 minutes from my front door to the lift at the Beav….which has better terrain and just as much in size as Deer Valley….I don’t need to talk up the cookies at the Beav, but it’s the first thing my Pop asks about….where is that lady with the cookies? I just smile…she’s in line….off to a couple groomers then Stone Creek and if my 70+ year old Pop can handle Grouse…we’re there. Oh wait, forgot to mention Vail, I'm mean do I really need to get into it? It’s over twice the size of Deer Valley, it opens earlier, and stays open later than Deer Valley(for true skiers) He always stops to look at the Gore or Holy Cross and says…”we don’t have this in Utah”….Yea right, they’re mountains. Not to say we aren’t on a mountain in Deer Valley, but the views are better in Salt Lake than on the Mountains in Utah. I’ve lived in the Vail Valley for about 15 years and I still don’t understand…how do you compare Deer Valley to Vail?….either the people in Deer Valley have never been to Vail or something? I’m sure everyone feels this way about their “home” mountains, but hey, I’m open to anything….Really, if the resorts in Park City would come together and give people a multiple mountain (affordable)pass….that would be sweet…diverse terrain, and tons of options…but I doubt that will ever happen. So, until then, I know…my Pop knows…There is no comparison. Sorry if I offended any other resort here…I probably skied or boarded there too, and liked it, but this was between my Pop and me…personally my favorite is Silverton Mountain, one lift(and then you hike)…kick ass snow(even more consistent than Vail) and thrown into an old UPS truck after almost every run. The longer I ski and board, the more I strive to get to the puridity of eachJ is that a word? I hope writing this doesn’t heighten the DV vs. Vail “thing” between us, but I’m just curious about how others feel about it…..

Vail 2011-12 Snow Prediction

2011-09-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

You can't predict the weather, but it doesn't mean that people aren't going to try. Short-range weather predictions are often flawed, let alone long-term predictions about such variable conditions as temperature and precipitation. The La Nina weather pattern this coming winter means one thing for sure — there will be unusually cold ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean near the Equator. The conditions tend to bring wetter than normal conditions across the Pacific Northwest and dryer and warmer than normal conditions across much of the southern tier of the United States. Colorado sits right in the middle, meaning things here could go either way. Last season was also a La Nina year. This coming winter is a “big La Nina year,” but that doesn't necessarily mean previous La Nina patterns in the area mean anything about what's to comeJ Really, Colorado falls in an area where the weather phenomena don't necessarily affect our region one way or another.

Vail Oktoberfest

2011-09-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

Why we celebrate Oktoberfest......

Oktoberfest - In September?

Oktoberfest traditionally starts in the third weekend in September and ends the first sunday of October.

What is Oktoberfest? It began with the Royal Wedding on 12 October 1810.

Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12 October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields were renamed Theresienwiese ("Theres'a Fields") to honor the Crown Princess, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to "Wiesn". Horse races in the presence of the royal family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in subsequest years gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest.

The Oktoberfest continues in 1811

In 1811, an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost Bavarian agriculture. The horse races, which were the oldest - and at one time - the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds.

More and more things to see and do

In the first few decades, the choices of amusements were sparse. In 1818, the first carousel and two swings were set up. Vistitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands, which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by the enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries. The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair. The range of carousels offered was already increasing rapidly in the 1870's as the fairground trade continued to grow and develope in Germany.

a little on Vail

2011-08-31T10:20:00.001-07:00

Vail can be everything to everyone. The new Ritz and Four Seasons are here now, but those Vail puritans(those that still ski) can still enjoy the value and fun of Vail’s Mountain Haus and The George for apres’……Vail gives almost everyone almost everything. And it’s not just because it’s humongous. Sure, Vail has more terrain in its back bowls (2,600 acres) than most mountains have within their permit areas. At Vail’s Mountain Haus every guest is valued. That goes for the ones who ski and the ones who don’t. Nonskiers can find plenty to do, too, from spas to shopping to snow tubing. Considering Vail’s size, terrain, snow and weather, you get the most bang for your buck…there is no comparison. The new chair 5…..bigger and faster…and another new restaurant at Mid-Vail….described as upscale casual. That means same food as Two Elk, but twice the cost and someone waits on you….I guess. I can’t wait.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge

2011-08-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

THIS is going to be the coolest event in Vail since the Teva Games..........