Beer Wars

This was posted up over on the MORC forum, and i am so stoked. 4-16-09 you'll know where to find me.

R.I.P Shane McConkey

Its a very sad day. My freeskiing hero Shane McConkey has passed away while shooting for an upcoming match stick producitons film. ive always idolized his up beat and always sunny personality.

The first Time i witisned his antics and the stoy 0f Saucer Boy was in MSP's ski movie two back in the volant days. and i continued to admire and respect his sking, and the progression of the sport through his most recent fim Claim.

Shane you will be missed.

the following write up can be found on espn.

Shane McConkey, 1969-2009

Legendary skier, innovator, friend and all-around industry ruler Shane McConkey passes away.

March 26, 2009, 5:46 PM

By: Tim Mutrie

Graeme Murray/Red Bull Photofiles

Decorated big mountain skier and BASE jumper Shane McConkey was killed earlier today in a ski-BASE accident in the Italian Dolomites.

A member of the Red Bull Air Force and pioneer of the ski-BASE-ing phenomenon, McConkey experienced problems in the air after launching off a cliff with the expectation of deploying his parachute canopy and then gliding down to the ground—as he had done successfully some 700-plus times before.

"He did a double backflip off the jump and he has these releasable bindings so they come off in the air and then he flies off in his wing suit," filmmaker Scott Gaffney, a longtime close friend of McConkey's, told ESPN Action Sports in an interview this afternoon via phone.

"But one ski did not come off. And when that happens the drag on the skis causes you to flip over, so the skis go over your head. So he was struggling with the one ski. Then he also got into a bad spin. So he may have never even pulled his pilot chute. And that's coming from JT Holmes, who Shane was with in Italy and who reviewed the footage of the accident. So the combination of the ski, the spin and the pilot chute, apparently. Because you can't throw the pilot chute like that; if you throw it while you're upside down and it wraps around the ski, you're done."

McConkey was filming with Matchstick Productions and Red Bull at the time, according to Gaffney, who said McConkey apparently died on impact with snow on the ground below the cliff. Gaffney was not clear about the size of the cliff. "But it had to be a sizable cliff, at least 400 feet, for him to be planning on flying his wing suit away from it," Gaffney said.

McConkey, 39, of Olympic Valley, Calif., is survived by his wife, Sherry, and their 3½-year-old daughter, Ayla.

This afternoon Gaffney was at home in Squaw Valley, Calif., with his brother, Robb, also a close friend of McConkey's, reeling from the news. "With what Shane does," said Scott, "it's a call you always picture getting at some point, but you realistically don't ever expect it to happen."

Added Robb Gaffney, "Shane's been a part of our lives for quite a while now. I'm just sitting at Scott's house processing the whole thing. The texts and calls are coming in, and you can really even feel it in the air in Squaw right now. I'm thinking about Sherry and his little girl. But in this area people have always loved Shane, so Sherry and Ayla, they're going to have an immense amount of support around them. That's one thing for sure; that's Shane's legacy."

Hometown: Olympic Valley, Cali.

Family:Wife, Sherry; Daughter, Ayla

Nickname: Cliff Huckstable

Sponsors: Red Bull, K2, Sessions, Nordica, Marker, Oakley, Squaw Valley USA

Accolades: 1996, 1998: IFSA World Tour of Freeskiing, World Champ 1999: Winter X Games Skier X, 2nd 2001: Skiing Mag Top 25 Skiers in N.A., 1st 2002, 2005, 2006: Powder Mag Reader's Poll Awards, 1st 2005: Laureus World Sport Award, Nominee

Film Parts: 1997-2008: Matchstick Productions '95, '99, '00, '02: Scott Gaffney Pictures 1999: Teton Gravity Research 2005: Warren Miller Films

Red Bull Winch

Alex Horner out of Duluth never ceases to amaze me with his incredible editing skills. and the skiing is pretty dam sick too, cause d crew slays. check this out.

2008/2009 Winch Edit! from Alex Horner on Vimeo.

Candide Kamera

One more reason why Candide Thovex is on the top of his game

Courtesy of Newschoolers.com

Beerlympics

Kona UTE vs. Surly Big Dummy







Kona Sutra Vs. Salsa Fargo





i see some striking resemblances both in styles and build kits. the question is. are the kona offerings as good as qualitys? that said they need to be tested and put through their paces.

this is what i recommend. get one of each and load them up as heavy as they can handle, then come up with a series of rigorous tests to put them through the paces.

im thinking a keg toting and growler fill up relay would be pretty sweet. two teams of two, one team takes off on the big boys to go get the kegs first one back tags off to partner who heads to brew pub to fill up and stash as many growlers as possible.