The Ever Animated Sämi Ortlieb
Swiss MC Sämi Ortlieb recently sat down to talk shop with Downdays’ David Malacrida, dishing on all things skiing related in his life. Check out an excerpt below.
WATCH: Birds
Sämi Ortlieb is a highly original shredder from Switzerland. In contrast to the technical masters and park rats of the Swiss Freeski Team, Sämi charts his own course between the park and the backcountry. This season he is the breakout star of Level 1 Productions’ Small World, so we snagged him for a quick chat at the High Five Festival.
Hey Sämi, what are you doing at High Five?
I’m trying to get rid of my hangover and watch some movies, and will present the Level 1 movie tonight.Is this the first time you’ve filmed with Level 1?
Yes, it’s my first time. I’ve skied with Will [Wesson] a lot, and at some point we were thinking I should join him for a Level 1 trip. I was supposed to go to Japan but that didn’t happen, and then Freedle, one of the filmers, came to Switzerland, and that was fucking amazing. Freedle is the man. He is the most fun guy to film with, maybe not the most productive guy because he’s kind of slow sometimes. READ MORE >>
See Sämi’s illustrations on the Tac Pointy Stick!
NEW FOR YOU – LINE SKIS Launches New Product!
Line Revamps Website for 2015-16 Season
Fully updated site introduces new skis, poles and apparel
Seattle, Wash. (Sept. 15, 2015) – Line is preparing skiers for the 2015-16 season with the launch of an updated website that introduces their new collection of skis, poles, apparel and accessories to the world. With brand new products and the energy and passion of a great team, Line is ready to get first tracks this season!
The 2016 ski season marks the 20-year anniversary of Line’s quest to make skiing MORE FUNNER. Since 1995, Line has been creating revolutionary shapes, styles and designs that have changed the way we ski. LineSkis.com not only shows off this season’s new gear, but also pays tribute to Line’s history with a visual timeline of the company’s storied past. The site’s homepage highlights the latest news, videos and other content from the Line family.
VIEW LINE’S STORY!
“We wanted to build a website that did more than just promote our skis,” said Line Global Brand Director Josh Malczyk, “so we created a place where people can see what Line has done to put the fun back in skiing over the last 20 years.”
GET TO KNOW THE SICK DAY TOURIST!
This season Line introduces another round of men’s, women’s and grom’s skis that are poised to shift the paradigm in the ski world yet again. The all-new Sick Day Tourist is Line’s first ski specifically designed for backcountry touring. The lightweight and agile ski is perfect for long tours but is built to aggressively handle the varying types of snowpack that skiers encounter in the backcountry.
SEE THE ENTIRE POLLARD COLLECTION!
The Eric Pollard Collection has undergone changes for 2015-16 and now includes the all-new 114mm-waisted Mordecai. This versatile ski uses Line’s Cloud Core™ and Thin Tip™ technologies to bridge the gap between the deep snow-oriented Magnum Opus that was unveiled last season and the newly redesigned 102mm underfoot Sir Francis Bacon.
“First Descent Essentials” – What gear Colter Hinchliffe trusts in the BC.
“First-Descent Essentials” in the October issue of Skiing
Make sure to pick up the October issue of Skiing Magazine (on newsstands now) to check out the feature on Colter Hinchliffe and the gear he “bets his life on.” Back in June, Colter and a crew snagged the first descent of Capital Peak in Colorado’s Elk Mountains, climbing 14,131′ and then descending thru scree and and pucker moments.
Find out exactly what you would want to pack for your own trips in the article, among them – the 2016 Line Tourist & the all-new Snakeskins.
It’s dependable when terrain is steep and exposed. Plus, it’s lightweight, which helps when I’m carrying it for 18 hours.” – Colter Hinchliffe
Blister Gear Review goes Supernatural
Blister Gear Goes In Deep with the Supernatural
This season, we released the All-New and award winning Supernatural series – a hard charging freeride ski built and expanded from the much loved Prophet.
We could go on-and-on about our new favorite all-mountain charger but don’t take our word on it; take theirs! > Blister Gear Review provides one of our favorite in-depth reviews!
“The ski provides a VERY fun, interesting mix of playful / poppy and directional “chargy” skiing. I was even willing to spin several 3’s on the 108.” – Will Brown
“The Supernatural 108 feels quicker and does not ski as heavy” – Jonathan Ellsworth
“Tipping the skis on edge, the 108 wil hook up and begin to pull across the fall line more quickly, and with more energy” – Will Brown
READ MORE from Will Brown & Jonathan Ellsworth’s review.
>>
Want to know more about the man behind the Supernatural? Read their interview with our “Enginerd” Jed Yeiser HERE.
Blister Gear Review “Best Of” Awards
We’re honored to be included in this year’s Blister Gear Reviews “Best Of” Awards! Three of our 2015 skis are featured – the Sir Francis Bacon, the Pandora & the Magnum Opus.
For those of you who might not be entirely familiar with Blister Gear Review, the collection of reviewers pride themselves on honest to goodness with their reviews – “the typical BLISTER review is around 1500 words. We will give you our honest opinion, and we will back it up with detailed analysis” boasts the site.
Read what they had to say!
The Best Playful All-Mountain Ski – The Sir Francis Bacon
“For those who like the looser, more forgiving feel of a tail rockered ski, or who want a light and playful ski to trick around the mountain.
Cliff notes version of Jason Hutchins’ reviews of the 184cm and 190cm Bacon: Of all the skis I’ve ridden, I’d call the Bacon the most versatile one-ski quiver option currently available for the playfully-minded, all-mountain skier.”
The Best Women’s Versatile Pow Ski – The Pandora
“The Pandora is a versatile, every day ski for softer snow conditions. For a 110mm underfoot ski, the Pandora still carves nicely on piste, but is an absolute blast in fresh snow, soft chop, and more playful, open terrain.”
The Best Playful Pow Skis – The Magnum Opus
“If you’re looking for a powder ski to take out on deep days to search for natural features to spin, flip, and drag, I can’t think of a better ski for the job than the Line Magnum Opus.”
We’re a big fan of their A/B reviews too! – See their recent of the Supernatural 108.
Powered by Divine Inspiration
As featured in the 2014 Freeskier Magazine Buyer’s Guide:
“Line Skis: Powered by Divine Inspiration”
“J, I have to talk to you about the ski, the biggest ski ever.”
So begins an email written from Eric Pollard to Line Skis founder Jason Levinthal. The excerpts that follow give a glimpse of a goosebumps-inducing plea to fulfill a vision. The email is a golden nugget of skiing history.
“Line has always been the most progressive company in skiing. This year we need to jump to the future and capitalize. I am a prophet, and I can see that if we do, we will set a trend in skiing that everyone will follow. We have to act first.”
Pollard goes on to describe some of the specifics of a new ski, including dimensions, and lays out his plan to crush heli trips the world over. He spoke of “first track fakie 720s and 540s off cliffs,” from Alaska to Norway. “I know you think that this ski is crazy, but please have faith. Please make this your main objective with me. We will honestly change everything,” Pollard’s message read.
The Line Skis Squadron. Photo by Rocky Maloney
Precisely five hours later, Levinthal responds, “I’m feelin’ it! As you wish… prophet.” And so the Prophet 130 was born. It would go on to influence a series of skis that dominated modern freeride ski design, winning countless awards and opening the door for what we call freeride skis today.
The now 12-year-old exchange exemplifies the role that Line Skis has played throughout freeskiing’s rise to the mainstream. It’s a brand that’s never been afraid to stir the pot. Experience gained along the way now informs the production of quality sticks that suit a variety of different skiing styles.
“We have two decades of freeride and freestyle innovation under our belts. We’ve been there through the rise and the changing tides of skiing,” says Josh Malczyk, global brand director. READ MORE >>
Old Man Winter – Jon Hartman
Did you happen to pick up the November issue of Powder Magazine? If you did, you might have caught the interview with our own Jon Hartman. Hartman, a Denver resident, has been riding for us for a little over a year and, despite his age, we have no intentions of sending him out to pasture quite yet. Between his Level 1 Unknown Honorable Mention and his creative web edits under the nom de guerre Hot Possie, this silver fox has much ahead of him in the way of teaching youngsters a thing or two in the park!
HØT PØSSIE SE5 :: EP 6 Don’t? Do Drugs from HOT POSSIE on Vimeo.
“Almost Ablaze” – TGR is on fire!
Almost Ablaze – A New Film from Teton Gravity Research
Teton Gravity Research has just released a trailer for their fall release, “Almost Ablaze.” Watch LINE MC’s Max Hammer & Colter Hinchliffe join a stacked cast & crew for TGR’s latest endeavor
From TGR:
“Almost Ablaze is a global odyssey combining state-of-the-art cinematography and the most progressive riding on The Planet. Experience a new level of sensory overload as each athlete is wired for sound, immersing the audience completely in the moment. Watch as athletes push the edge to realize a heightened state.
Almost Ablaze highlights stunning locations, next-level riding, and the globetrotting lifestyle of these thrill-seeking athletes. The crew sets up camp deep in the Teton Range hitting 5,000-foot dream lines all on foot. Check out urban riding in the war-torn Winter Olympic venues of Sarajevo. Explore the massive untapped terrain of Sella Nevea, Italy during a record winter where they struggle to keep lifts and chalets from completely disappearing into the snow. Finally, feel the madness as TGR’s full cast of athletes meets in Revelstoke for a mind-blowing session producing some of the most diverse riding in the world. Almost Ablaze takes you beyond the boundaries. Experience a rarely seen state of being and level of excitement where one missed step will result in total chaos.
Neo Eight: Travels with LJ
Neo Eight: Travels with LJ
Ski the East released the season finale for their web series Neo this week and you’ll want watch LJ Strenio & Ross Imburgia drop the hammer on the East.
“The Neo season finale follows native Vermonter, LJ Strenio, for a full week of park and urban shralping around the East Coast in the spring of 2013. LJ and the rest of the crew embody the Ski The East spirit and always ‘keep the shred alive.'”
LJ and the rest of the crew embody the Ski The East spirit and always “keep the shred alive.”
Skiers: LJ Strenio, Lupe Hagearty, Tyler Duncan, Cole Gibson, Ross Imburgia
Cinematography: Geoff McDonald, Chris James, Brett Coffin, Chris DeJohn
Editing: Geoff McDonald
Animations: Zachary Allott, Ben Pacocha
Music: Yeasayer – “Reagan’s Skeleton”
http://blog.yeasayer.net/
Even Sigstad’s Urban Segment from Supervention
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