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Articles by Ryan Dunfee
When Skiing Saves Us
This story originally appeared in the Winter 2020 (49.2) issue of POWDER. ON APRIL 7, nearly 400,000 Americans had already been stricken with COVID-19 since the disease was first detected on U.S. soil in February 2020. Of those, 12,757 had died from it—and yet that was just the beginning. Entire swaths of the economy were shut down, including every ski area in the United States.
Red Bull’s “Kaleidoscope” BMX Video Will Bend Your Brain In Half
May 13, 2018 By: Ryan Dunfee Follow 2 0 0 0 0 Views 337,516 Comments 4 Red Bull's latest iteration of an action sports acid trip comes in the form of Kaleidoscope, a new masterpiece featuring Scottish BMX pro Kriss Kyle, and which transformed his home skatepark into a series of optical illusions that are leaving me with a headache even as I write this.
8 Tips For Making The Most Of Your Weekends For Working Stiffs
When Ben Leoni left his ski bum career at Alta and decided to head back East to study and eventually practice law, he knew his ski days would take a hit. It’s part of the package for anyone moving on to a serious career from salad days in the mountains.
Man:age
Coming soon: Self-service promotion on Listen Notes Use speech-to-text techniques to transcribe your show and edit transcripts Improve the presence of your podcasts, e.g., self served podcaster interview... Track your podcast stats on Listen Notes, e.g., listens, page views... Manage episodes
“Know Before You Go” Avalanche Awareness PSA
Jan 10, 2020 By: Ryan Dunfee Follow 2 0 0 0 0 Views 23,624 Comments 2 Editor's Note: This editorial was originally published in 2014, when "Know Before You Go" first launched. It's information still remains relevant to backcountry skiing and riding.
Big Sky Resort open for summer hiking, biking, other activities
Southwestern Montana's Big Sky Resort, with more than 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, is open for the summer season. Chairlift-serviced downhill mountain biking is available for all levels and abilities, with connector trails that allow bikers to ride six miles of flow trail through forests and meadows to Big Sky Town Center. Many trails are being improved this summer, including a complete rework on Tango to better fit in the progression between Rabbit Run and Gambler.
Michelle Parker signs with Atomic
On switching sponsors, wearing a helmet every day, and how to live up to Sarah. Michelle Parker in Tahoe. Photo: Ben Meester Words: Ryan Dunfee Michelle Parker's been on the roster for a long time. First picked up as a precocious park skiing teenager, Parker was one of the early generations of women freeskiers, and spent a stretch of winters as the headlining female skier for K2, Orage, and Scott. Three years ago, a knee injury took her out for the season.
Kim Jong-Un's Ski Area and Jeff Curry Surprise
Gay Ski Week civil union, Moonlight & Big Sky merger, and new Aspenwalk owners Kim Jong-Un's Ski Area Hampered by Heavy Rains & The Swiss Swiss miss. PHOTO: Courtesy North Korea Economy Watch The portly North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un will have to wait even longer to trim his waistline by ripping GS turns on the Hermit Kingdom's first "world-class" ski resort, Masik Pass Skiing Grounds.
Talking to Joffrey Pollet-Villard
The French X Games rookie on going big, finding a tight pants sponsor, and not throwing doubles in competitions Joffrey Pollet-Villard during Ski SuperPipe Men's Elimination at X Games Aspen 2013. Photo: Eric Bakke/ESPN Images There's been a lot of new talent dropping into slopestyle courses and halfpipes at big contests lately. Joffrey Pollet-Villard is one we'll remember this winter after he made a big entrance in Aspen's 22-foot pipe at Winter X Games.
Bring Style Back to Skiing
Why this season should be about fighting the ugly Candide Thovex passing The Silhouette Test. PHOTO: COURTESY QUIKSILVER Opening weekend at your favorite resort makes you realize that skiers are a bunch of kooks.
Night skiing the Nor'easter
Turning into the gut of the Nor’easter Riders on the Storm. PHOTO: RYAN DENNING Fifteen minutes to our south in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it is currently illegal to be on the road. Beacon Hill declared the activity punishable by fine or even jail time.
Avalanche Advisory: Sochi Olympic Backcountry Conditions
Sochi Area Avalanche Advisory for Monday, February 10th 7:04 AM Sochi local time Today’s Avalanche Problem: PERSISTENT CORRUPTION Aspect/Elevation: All aspects and elevations, with heightened danger at the ski jumping venue and hockey rink Likelihood: Certain Size: Historic Trend:Steady Description: Persistent corruption, a result of ongoing cronyism and autocracy overlying a thin early-season weak layer of democracy and free speech, is currently affecting all aspects and elevations of the...
Social Media for Skiers
Oh boy, the vicarious life. First it was ski magazines. Then it was ski movies. These days--via Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and now Instagram --you can find out what your favorite pro skier is doing RIGHT NOW. However, after a while, the novelty wears off. In a relatively homogenous community like skiing (you know, compared to the real world), there are a few common threads that will weave through the fabric of your feed of totally awesome pro skiers social media .
Meet the Native American Climber Restoring Indigenous Place Names
The 14,351-foot summit of Colorado’s Blanca Peak erupts 7,000 vertical feet from the pancake-flat San Luis Valley to its west and gains its incredible altitude in just six miles. From any vantage point north, west, or south, the peak and the surrounding Sierra Blanca Massif groan improbably upward from the sagebrush plains. The contrast is striking.
This Must Be The Place: Mt. Abram, Maine
This old double chair, like most fixed doubles, has soul. It's the only way to the top, and should you happen to be in the singles line, there's almost no way you could avoid conversating with your new lift partner unless you were a very focused and deliberate recluse. The chair is called The Way Back Machine.
Would You Like Some Phthalates With Your Sandwich?
By Brian BienkowskiDon't feel like cooking tonight?
Boycott Factory Farm Foods: But Don't Forget the Fish
By Ronnie CumminsFactory farming and fish production are now a multi-trillion-dollar monster with a growing and devastating impact on public health, animal welfare, small farmers and farmworkers, rural and fishing communities, ocean marine life, water quality, air pollution, soil health, biodiversity and last but not least, global warming.Worldwide, two-thirds of all farm animals are now inhumanely imprisoned on highly-polluting factory farms, fed pesticide- and chemical-contaminated grains...
Why EPA’s U-Turn on Auto Efficiency Rules Gives China the Upper Hand
By Greg Dotson The Trump administration is poised to ease pollution and efficiency rules for new passenger cars and trucks, giving automakers a reprieve from more stringent Obama-era standards. But in the process, it could yield global leadership in the auto sector to the Chinese.
Still Cheaper Than Coal: A Report on the Economics of Solar Power in Colorado
By Rama Zakaria and Graham McCahanA newly-updated report is shedding light on what President Trump's solar trade tariffs may mean for one state—and underscoring a tremendous opportunity to move forward toward clean energy, with all the benefits it can bring.Xcel Energy filed its 30-day bid report update with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on March 1.
Native American Climber Works to Restore Indigenous Names to Peaks
The 14,351-foot summit of Colorado’s Blanca Peak erupts 7,000 vertical feet from the pancake-flat San Luis Valley to its west and gains its incredible altitude in just six miles. From any vantage point north, west, or south, the peak and the surrounding Sierra Blanca Massif groan improbably upward from the sagebrush plains. The contrast is striking.
New Report Promotes Need for Fashion Industry Action
By Linda GreerThe fashion industry doesn't necessarily have the biggest nose-to-the-grindstone, follow-the-numbers reputation of an industry, let's face it. It is better known for its creativity, innovation and trendsetting. But this sector packs a major punch environmentally, let me tell you—in terms of climate impact, water use and pollution.
The Three (And a Half) Types of Fun, Explained
If everyone's smiling, no one has to wear a pack or worry about avalanches, and you're riding chairlifts, you're enjoying some Type I fun. Ryan Dunfee. On a base level, everything you could ever do in the outdoors qualifies as fun. From bluebird pow days off the high-speed quad to grueling multi-day backpacking trips in the rain and sleet, it's all better than being at work, and thus fun. But do you know how to properly classify the type of fun you're about to embark on this weekend?
How To Ride Vancouver’s North Shore & Why It’s Going on Your Bucket List
Endless Biking guide Jordan Drinovz airs through a tight section of the Severed D trail on Mount Seymour. Ryan Dunfee photo. It is absolutely pouring rain. Dipping the bars into a tight corner, my shoulder slaps a fern the size of a small cow, and the splash of exploding water feels like I’ve been hit by a water balloon. The trail dipping and straightening, the speed picks up, and all I can see through my watering eyes is a thin strip of brown dirt cutting through a horizon of wet green.
The Cinder Cone Might Be The Treehouse That Can’t Be Topped
Levitating in a stand of Douglar Fir trees on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, the incredible treehouse dubbed The Cinder Cone is the culmination of a full year of creative carpentry and hipster can-do. The 'Cone took a group of friends from around the country, some professional woodworkers, some hacks, to put together the plans and materials and actually build the twin 220 square-foot living spaces, along with the handsome skate bowl and wood fired hot tub.
Mountain Bikers just helped save Zion National Park’s doorstep from drilling
Submitting thousands of comments to the Bureau of Land Management convinced them to hold back land in southern Utah -- which hosted the first three editions of the Red Bull Rampage contest -- from oil & gas drilling. Randy Spangler sends a drop at the first Rampage in 2001. Christian Pondella/Red Bull photo. Hello internet outdoor sports enthusiasts! It is I, Ryan Dunfee.
The Comprehensive Guide To The Whistler Bike Park
If all you've heard of is A-Line's flawless jumps, you have reason enough to visit Whistler in the summer. Ryan Dunfee photo. The suspension compress hard as I hang onto a rough landing on one of A-Line’s poppier jumps. Despite the rain, B.C.’s perfect dirt means the tires never falter in finding grip, and I high-line the two big berms that line you up for the biggest table on the trail–a 40-foot monster with a seemingly endless, ramping takeoff.
BREAKING: Man Believed Dead, Missing After Falling In Yellowstone Hot Spring | Teton Gravity Research
A man is missing and believed dead after being seen falling into a Yellowstone hot spring today. Yellowstone National Park photo. According to The Great Falls Tribune, a man in his early 20's is believed to be dead after falling into a hot spring near Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park today, although he is still apparently missing and his body has not yet been found.
Yellowstone Rangers Walk Off Job In Protest of ‘Tourist Stupidity’ | Teton Gravity Research
Yellowstone Head Ranger Leslie Robinson vents to President Obama during an emergency morale-boosting trip following several outrageous incidents of tourists flouting basic tenets of wildlife interaction. JACKSON, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park officials have thrown in the towel and walked off the job barely a month into the opening of the nation’s first national park during its centenary season.
Strava Speeds Help Mountain Bikers Get Banned From California Park | Teton Gravity Research
A California city council banned mountain bkers from a local park this winter, thanks in part to Strava data. Ryan Dunfee photo. According to the Los Altos Town Crier, the city of Los Altos Hills, which sits adjacent to Silicon Valley, finalized a proposed ban on mountain bikers at a city park this winter after Strava speeds of area riders topping 20 miles per hour – speeds one council member called "just incredibly unacceptable" – were found recorded in the town's Byrne Preserve.
Jay Peak Will Not Close, And Other Updates About the Alleged VT Ponzi Scheme | Teton Gravity Research
It's been a busy week for news in Vermont since the SEC alleged two ski resort owners with fraud on April 14th. Tim Kirchoff photo. Last week, we reported on the outrageous news (at least by the standard of what we normally get to report on) that Bill Stenger and Ariel Quiros, the business partners who owned Jay Peak Resort and Burke Mountain Resort, were charged with financial fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
UPDATED: Owners Of Jay Peak, Q Burke Accused of Ponzi Scheme, Fraud | Teton Gravity Research
The small community of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom is no doubt shocked by news of allegations of financial fraud at two of the area's ski resorts. Tim Kirchoff photo. UPDATED 5:00 PM MST: In a shocking turn of events in a story that has seen a share of wild and at times ugly episodes, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges of fraud for Jay Peak Resort and Q Burke Resort owners Ariel Quiros and Bill Stenger.
Relive Doug Coombs’s First Descent Of The Grand Teton’s Infamous Otter Body Route | Teton Gravity Research
The Otter Body has always stood out as a mythical ski mountaineering route off the highest peak in Jackson Hole: the 13,775-foot Grand Teton. This hanging snowfield clings to the east face of the mountain, visible from anywhere in the valley, and below sit massive cliffs that require exact turns and multiple rappels to avoid the certain death that would result from a fall.
158 MPH - Ivan Origone Breaks Speed Skiing World Record | Teton Gravity Research
Over the weekend, Italian speed skiing world champion Ivan Origone broke the record for the fastest man on snow, hurtling down a specially-groomed piste at France's La Fôret Blanche ski resort at 158 miles per hour, or 254 kilometers per hour. ALSO IN FEATS: 9 year-old skis Corbet's like a boss Origone accelerated so fast, he beat the off-the-line speed of a Formula 1 car, getting up to 125 mph (200 kph) in just 5.5 seconds.
Breaking News: Director of Oregon’s Wallowa Avalanche Center Killed In Avalanche | Teton Gravity Research
Chief Joseph Mountain, which overlooks the town of Joseph, Oregon. Wallowa Avalanche Center Director Kip Rand died skiing near there yesterday. Google Earth image. According to the Joseph, Oregon-based Wallowa Avalanche Center, the Center's Director, Kip Rand, died tragically in an avalanche yesterday afternoon near Chief Joseph Mountain west of the town of Joseph.
Skier Loses Loaded Handgun at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Finds it at Lost-And-Found | Teton Gravity Research
According to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, a Wyoming skier visiting Jackson Hole Mountain Resort dropped his loaded 9 mm handgun out of his shoulder harness during a hard crash, didn't notice the gun was missing, and continued skiing while two off-duty resort employees found the weapon on the Dick's Ditch run. The employees carried the gun down to resort security, where it was later reunited with its owner when he called in to report it missing.
Breaking News: World Record Slackline Walk Is Crazy And Beautiful | Teton Gravity Research
French slackliner Theó Sanson just broke the world record for the longest highline in the world, crossing 493 meters between The Rectory to Castleton Tower in Castle Valley, Utah. They called the line "Peace for the Great Bung-Holio," and according to the Camp 4 Collective crew who filmed it, just getting the line in place was as much a feat as the crossing itself.
Following Snowboard Legend Twitter Battle, Let’s Drop “Gay” From Action Sports Vocab | Teton Gravity Research
Following Gus Kenworthy's announcement that he is gay, snowboard legends Terje Haakonsen and Todd Richards engaged in a protracted spat on Twitter. First off, let's just make it clear that, yes, this is a story about people feuding over social media. You're welcome to compare us to TMZ for making hay over such a trite thing.
Breaking News: Erik Roner Dies in Skydiving Accident in Lake Tahoe | Teton Gravity Research
Erik Roner was performing a skydive with three others for a local golf tournament when an accident took his life. Mike Escammilla photo via Instagram. 1:00 PM MST, Jackson Hole, Wyoming: According to two different sources, we have just learned that legendary action sports athlete Erik Roner has died in a skydiving accident in Lake Tahoe, California.
Sunday River First To Fire Snow Guns For 15/16 East Coast Season | Teton Gravity Research
Snow guns–the siren song of East Coast skiers every fall. Their compressed air and water are almost always what lets the first turns of the East Coast winter happen, and Sunday River traditionally tries to make it happen outrageously early; often before Halloween if temps allow. RELATED: How about something a little different–how about a dirt blizzard?
Yellowstone Tourist Actually Complained About “Untrained” Grizzly Bears | Teton Gravity Research
This incredible customer note from a Yellowstone lodge has been making the rounds since it was posted on reddit earlier this week. As much as we love to entertain ourselves here at Teton Gravity Research by drawing ridiculous cartoons of the worst imagined summer tourist behavior we get to witness here in Jackson Hole, sometimes we really can't make this stuff up.
Check Out A Live Map of Every Active Wildfire in the U.S. | Teton Gravity Research
According to the US Forest Service, there are currently 105 large active fires burning in the United States this week and, no surprise, a large percentage of them are concentrated along the West Coast, where years of drought have been steadily whittling away local forests' ability to stave off big burns.
BREAKING: Beijing Selected As Host of 2022 Winter Olympics | Teton Gravity Research
The Chinese delegation, uncharacteristically stoked at the news that they won the bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics Games. Ubald Rutar/IOC photo. Early this morning, Beijing, China was chosen over the city of Alamaty, Kazahkstan as the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming the first city to have been chosen to host both summer and winter Games. The announcement was made in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this morning.
Mountain Bike Park City: The Bucket list | Teton Gravity Research
Rallying through the signature wallride at Trailside Bike Park with the rest of Park City's 400 miles of trails in the background. Jon Grinney photo. The speed is getting faster now as I head down Park City’s Spiro trail. The red snake of the trail whips in wild arcs ahead, requiring exacting concentration despite the fact that water is now streaming out the side of my eye sockets.
Tree Falls on Chairlift - Oh My! | Teton Gravity Research
Man, it's been a tough year to be in the chairlift business. Most of the ones within driving distance of the Pacific had to close due to lack of snow, then some kooks from ABC sensationalize how dangerous they are, and then one rolls backwards at Sugarloaf and causes a PR nightmare (again). Now, some Ukrainian just happened to have his smartphone out when a tree falls over on the chairlift he's riding while on vacation. Can these poor guys catch a break?
Capracotta, Italy Sets New World Record For Single-Day Snowfall
Mar 10, 2015 By: Ryan Dunfee Follow 15 0 0 0 0 Views 158,245 Comments 0 The town of Capracotta, Italy, last week following 101 inches of snow that fell in 18 hours. Meteoweb.eu photo. According to Meteoweb.eu, on Thursday, March 5th, the town of Capracotta in the Italian province of Isernia broke the single-day snowfall record–tallying up an absurd 265 centimeters, or 8 feet, 4.8 inches–in a mere 18 hours.
Read This Heartbreaking Letter from CEO of CA Resort Forced To Close Due to Lack of Snow
A group of China Peak locals the week before drenching rains killed the remaining snow and forced them to close. China Peak photo. This winter has been one big dump of salt in the wound for anyone hoping to do some skiing or riding in the Sierras. The high pressure ridge sitting off the West Coast has pushed cold temps and moisture far to the north, after which the low on the East Coast has sucked it down and produced mind-boggling blizzards.
Blue Collar Pros: Tony Pavlantos | Teton Gravity Research
Committed to reducing his environmental impact as a devoted snowboarder, Salt Lake-based Tony Pavlantos has gone farther out of his way than many would even dream of to do so. Gabriel Ciafre photo. Tony Pavlantos, like a lot of skiers and snowboarders, cares a great deal for the snow and the natural world in which he gets his greatest highs and most fulfilling experiences.
Returning to Risk: The How and Why
Words: Ryan Dunfee An episode of Salomon Freeski TV aired last winter in which Josh Dueck, the Canadian Paralympic and Winter X Games medalist, landed the first ever back flip on a sit ski. Josh’s act was seen with admiration around the world. But for me, Dueck's story raised some questions.
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