4e Week-End: Zermatt, and the New 2008 Video!!!

For this last snowboard week-end of 2008, with my buddies Alex and Will, we take on the Zermatt resort for the best "hors-pistes" day I've had in my life!

First, en Grande Première, Voici le vidéo résumé des 4 dernières snowboard sessions 2008!!
Enjoy!




Quelques photos souvenirs de notre trip de la fin de semaine dernière, avec mon nouveau board.
Incroyable!!

Le matin au sommet de la montagne


On commence la journée avec quelques descentes dans la poudre fraiche du matin! (nos premières traces dans le coin en bas à droite)

On continue "Par là" Avec Dobrev sur la piste freeride "Chamois"

Nous étions les seuls (ou presque) sur ce versant


Ce versant nous mêne droit dans un sous-bois enneigé!
Quelle vue, quelle neige!!
(photo commanditée ;-)


Je saute du lift, impatient de descendre dans cette poudreuse!

Au sommet, on admire la vue...

Le soleil commence à descendre sur cette dernière piste freeride de la journée


Les dernières lueurs...


Le soir tombe sur ma plus belle journée de snowboard à vie!

Until next time...

Nowël!!

Ehhhhhhhhhh oui, noël ça se passe en Suisse aussi. J'ai acheté un arbre gigantesque (de 30cm) pour l'occasion! Et c'est un vrai! Haha.

My New Ride!!

I Got my new Board!!!
Beautifulllll peace of artwork and snowboarding technology.

Elan Crest Wide
171 cm (length)
284 mm (waist width)
Mid-Hard Flex
Biggest board on the market
Rated FreeRide

Love the graphics on it!! With the famous "fleur de lys", it reminds me of Quebec, its the perfect fit for me!!


After a long and boring week-end staying at home doing some homework, I just can't wait to get back on the slopes!!
Next week is the big race in Zermatt, can't wait to try my new ride!!

Until then, the only view that I had this week-end (from my room window)

R.I.P Elan Pure

La nouvelle est arrivée aujourd'hui, mon board a succombé à ses blessures.

Le verdict a été rendu. Après 2 saisons ½ (dont une plutôt extrême l'année dernière), ma planche est qualifié irréparable (voir photo post précédent). Un petit message pour rendre hommage à ce board qui ma soutenue pendant aussi longtemps, avec lequel j'ai eu de si beaux moments dans les alpes suisses, mais aussi dans les collines québécoises (Mont St-Anne), et qui a survécu a une avalanche avec moi!

Mon board, encore tout jeune à l'époque

Avant/Après une saison dans les alpes (Zermatt)

3e week-end: Verbier

3e fin de semaine, 3e opportunité de rider. Et cette fois, on en profite à fond!! Avec 2 nouvelles recrues québécoises que j'avais rencontré la veille, Max et Pascal. La montagne est déjà passablement striée de multiples freeriders qui sont déjà passé avant nous, mais avec un peu de ténacité, on a quand même réussi à trouver de la belle neige pour se donner un peu de sensations fortes. En bref, on a passé toute la journée hors-pistes!

On commence par arriver au sommet des Attelas vers 9h30

En vidéo:



En photo:


Apres quelques descentes sur le versant sud, nous passons au versant nord. Plusieurs bonnes opportunitées de descentes en freeride, et le soleil est au rendez-vous!!



Alex sur la crête

Une descente plutôt freestyle!
Le début...



Sur la photo, le tracé en rouge montre le passage filmé dans les 2 vidéos (précédant et suivant) et en noir, le premier essai au début de la journée.


La suite...



On s'arrête pour manger un peu:




the A-Team:
Feodor (Berne), Pascal et Max (Québec), moi et Alex (Toronto)


Rock on!!


Après le lunch, les nuages commencent à arriver, et quelques descentes dans les sous-bois plus tard, j'aperçois cette immense cassure dans ma planche, qui met brutalement fin à cette journée de snowboard

Les nuages...

Le board...



On va quand même fêter ces incroyables descentes avec une bonne bière blanche en après-ski!


Until next time...

Diablerets and Nandaz

Another great snowboarding week-end...in perspective!
We went to Diablerets, a small resort in the "Alpes Vaudoises", to spend a good time riding with the Lausanne Crew!

Unfortunatly, it was snowing pretty hard when we got to the station. In fact, there was so much wind up in the mountain (150km/h+), that they had to close the whole mountain for the day...

Arriving in Diableret!


We have to walk up all the way to our Swiss Chalet, Built in 1721!!!
This picture was taken the next day, when it had stopped snowing


It was a real storm that day, so we decided to take it down and simple: sliding down a hill dressed up in garbage bags. With a few beers, loads of fun!!



He didnt spill a drop of his beer!!


At the end of a big day in the snow...



...we go back to the Chalet to warm up a bit...


Sam was getting so hot he had to cool down!! Haha


The next morning, we wake up to a beautiful "paysage enneigé".



No wind, blue sky, can we expect better? Answer: YES. The runs are closed, reason: too much snow, therefore, too risky for avalanches.

That's when one of the organizers told me a mountain was open that day: Nandaz!
We had 4 minutes before the next train was leaving, so I got the crew moving fast, and we started a 3h hour train journey to Nandaz (Valais). We got there at 12h40, and we arrived on top with this beautiful view:


The Crew up in the mountain


Alex and I, getting ready to get the most out of this day


I follow Moe on this one...first, we start in deep powder:


Then he points at the little gap (about 4 meters) where we have to go down:


and down the gap we went...


Another great riding session in the alps, a last minute save on that snowboard week-end!!

Until next time!!

Peace!

First Ride of the Season!!!!

Another Great snowboard season start in Zermatt!!!

I arrived in Zermatt with my uncle Bernie, who just came back from Canada, after the recent event that shook the canadian side of the Jakob family (see previous post). His plane landed in Geneva, and the train then passing by Lausanne, I jumped in for the rest of the trip to the great Alps.

We arrive at about 12h, and start the week-end by shoveling the snow off the terrasse (Yes, snow in November!!)

Uncle Bernie on the balcony of the Olympia Stubli, resting a bit after a long trip


Then, the next day, I get up early, meet my cousin Jeremy, and get ready for a first ride of the season. The temperature is perfect: no wind, not too cold, no clouds in the sky. We couldn't hope for better.

Sunrise on the Matterhorn


Top of the mountain, 9h in the morning (Klein Matterhorn 3983 meters high)
In pictures:

Jeremy and Me


The Italian Alps

Highest reachable point on the resort, summer skiing peak, with fog over Italy (in the background)

And Video!

Then, the time has come for a first descent, the feeling is sooooo great, I can't believe it! Once again on these mountains, such a great sensation!!!!

We go on the Italian side of the mountain for a couple runs. There is more snow on that side, which makes it more interesting.

In picture:

And Video:




There was some ski testing that day. The professional skiers were going down at crazy speed (almost as fast as me!! hehe)



We go down a bit off-piste, and end-up next to a big glacier filled lagoon, kept full by a huge dam.

We had to cross the dam, and climb on the other side to get back to the slope, what a drag...at least the view was magnificient

We fight our way back to Switzerland, and ride all the way down.
We get back to the Olympia, where I spend the day stacking wood with Bernie.

I took this superb picture, just before the sky turned black


The next day, back on the slopes!!
I go back all the way to the top, and go down again in Italy for some fast riding and slope-jumps!!
Here's a couple pictures of that second perfect day on the mountain, Italian Side.

You can see the slope-bumps, which are perfect to fly out at a crazy speed!!

Going back down in Switzerland, I take those two vids.
Getting started...



...and speeding down...

Going down, some fog in the valley, so nice!

Rest time after a great morning of boarding!!


I get back to the restaurant for a hard wood-cutting'n'splitting afternoon, and then get ready to go back to Lausanne...

A great week-end in Zermatt!!! Once again!!


See you Soon!