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By Lloyd Langlois, May 23, 2011 1:36 pm

On May 17, ESPN announced that they are looking to expand the increasingly popular X-Games to six events, starting in 2013.

So far, there’s no word on where the new events will be held, but cities around the world have been invited to bid to become host cities, so the games could potentially land anywhere. Winter X-Games events include skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, and have traditionally been held in Aspen, Colorado – although the franchise has expanded to include international events, like the Europe Tignes X-Games that debuted this year.

Don’t know yet whether any Canadian cities will throw their hats in the ring, but it’s certainly a possibility. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say Québec City and Whistler are the most likely candidates. We’ll have to wait and see though. The bidding process closes on July 1, so by then we should know who the contenders are. Should be exciting…

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By Lloyd Langlois, May 16, 2011 1:59 pm

Direct from the do-not-try-this-at-home files, here are a couple of videos of guys honing their snowboarding skills on a trampoline. I’ve never tried this on a snowboard, but the trampoline is a key tool for aerial skiers (me included), so I can definitely see how it could be useful. I came across both videos on UK rider Gavin Hope’s awesome blog afterbang.co.uk – you’ll notice that the first is more instructional, while the second is probably too elaborate, not to mention too dangerous, to really be feasible. Still cool though.

Enjoy!

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By Lloyd Langlois, May 9, 2011 7:51 pm

It’s never too early to think of next year. Especially when thinking ahead could potentially save you a considerable amount on a season’s pass at your mountain of choice. After a moderate amount of asking around, I learned that at least five of Quebec’s biggest ski resorts are offering steep discounts on season passes when you buy them in advance. Here’s the list:

Ski Bromont

Passes are on sale now for the 2011-2012 season, and will be offered at a discount until October 19, 2011. I won’t list them all here, but they have a plethora of passes to choose from, from family passes, to night-time only passes, to anytime passes – and more. Take a look.

Mont Tremblant

You’ve got to move fast to get your pre-season pass from Tremblant – if you buy before June first, you can save a whopping $410. After that, they jump right back up to regular price. The biggest savings are on the Couple’s Pass, but even the Individual Adult pass is $400 off the usual price of $1499.  Check it out.

Owl’s Head

The biggest savings can be had if you buy before June 15. After that, a more moderate discount is offered until September 1, and an even smaller discount until October 25. An adult pass is regularly  $735, but if you buy now it’s only $625. The deal on family passes is even better – from a regular price of $2055, they come down to $1745 before June 15. Check it out.

Mont Grand Fonds

At Grand Fonds, the steepest discounts are already over and done with (deal expired on April 4). But there’s still one more chance to get a reasonable discount on season’s passes, if you buy them the weekend of October 22 and 23. Mark your calendar! Check it out.

Le Massif

To take advantage of the Le Massif spring savings, you would have had to buy yours before April 24. I thought about not adding it to this list (I hate to taunt you with things you can’t have), but in the end, I stuck it in anyway – now we’ll know for next year… Check it out.

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By Lloyd Langlois, May 1, 2011 11:05 pm

A tiny craze has started, and I like it.

First, there was Whistler Blackcomb XXS. Released earlier this year, it was a stunning, charming portrayal of a miniaturized Whistler Blackcomb, by Switchback Entertainment. Now, we have A Tiny Day in the Jackson Hole Backcountry, a similar and equally breathtaking film shot by Tristan Greszko down in Wyoming. The effect is achieved with a tilt-shift lens, which somehow perfectly captures the bright happy magic of a day on the slopes. The very act of miniaturization seems to amplify the magnitude of the mountains (weird but true).

I’ve posted both films here, so check them out. Next up… Tiny Tremblant? Le Petit Massif?

Whistler Blackcomb XXS from Whistler Blackcomb on Vimeo.

A Tiny Day in the Jackson Hole Backcountry from Tristan Greszko on Vimeo.

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By Lloyd Langlois, April 28, 2011 11:09 pm

If you are an ultra die-hard and are determined to out ski everyone you know, you now have two choices. One: get on a plane and fly somewhere where winter’s holding on a little tighter (and where it hasn’t been raining every day for three weeks). Two: head to Mont Saint Sauveur. Keeping their reputation for longest season in Quebec intact, Mont Saint Sauveur has announced that they will be open in a limited capacity until May 22 (weekends only, no nights). I can’t promise great skiing – in fact you can pretty much be assured that only a couple of slushy runs will be open – but I can promise skiing. And at this point in the game, that’s saying something.

See you out there?

Mont Saint Sauveur: Quebec's longest ski season