Jordan Manley's "A Skier's Journey"

I am thoroughly impressed with Jordan Manley's work. Without exception, his photo and video projects have left me speechless; and while the imagery is breathtaking and the writing elegant, the combination of these two mediums in his "A Skier's Journey" series transcends the limitations of either art.

Manley seems to have the ability to impart a tangible sense of feeling and flavor to a subject and place. Interweaving elements of culture, respect, fear, beauty, and history anchored within timeless and iconic landscapes, Jordan's work places new footprints along the path of the great and creative explorers; a quest to communicate the sublime.

Boldly taking up the mantle of the modern day explorer, Manley Pioneers not only through the proverbial dark areas of the atlas, but to the multicolored soul of the experiences themselves, answering what Susan Casey coined the age-old philosophical quest; to distinguish between beauty and its twisted cousin, the sublime.

“…for the merely pretty to graduate to the sublime, terror was required in the mix.
‘The alps fill the mind with a kind of agreeable horror’ wrote one seventeenth century thinker, summing up the concept. And while humans were capable of creating the lovely, the dramatic, the sad, or the inspiring, only nature could produce the sublime. It was a concept both comforting and disturbing; there are many things out there more powerful than we are.” (The Wave p.62)

And perhaps that is the true common thread. The true masters of the modern medium are not so different that their polar fore-bearers- Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott. Like these men, the modern creative explorers are pushing new boundaries; wrestling to explore what can only be expressed as the sublime. But what's so unique about Manley's art is the respect-beyond-reverence that he takes to his subjects, be they people, places, cultures or fleeting moments in time.

So well done Mr. Manley; I tip my hat and raise a glass. Keep on pushing, exploring, and inspiring.



For more of Jordan Manley's work, check out his website and blog: http://jordanmanley.com/blog/

Coal Export Threatens the Northwest

Dear China,

Cant you dig your own damn coal? Keep it out of our PNW.

Thanks,
Chris

Unseasonably Warm

"Unseasonably Warm" should be a four letter word.

That being said, I'd rather ski in the rain than not ski at all. Jules and I ventured out today- we ripped a few lines down 7th Heaven, took a sloppy lap through the park, and all-in-all had a pretty damn good time.

With the weather outlook solidly in the "Not So Good" camp for the foreseeable future, I'm stoked to have good friends that are ready and willing to give'r- high fives, big grins, and all.

I think its going to go blue any second. Perspective is everything. Enough said.

My Review of Flylow Quantum Jacket

Originally submitted at evo

Flylow Quantum Jacket 2012: The most waterproof and breathable jacket with a removable powder skirt and tougher nylon material, the Flylow Quantum Jacket can only get better with time. Not only is great on the slope, it also packs down to easily fit in your luggage.

Flylow Quantum Jacket

Burly Hardshell at home in PNW weather

By @Rudolph_Chris from Stevens Pass WA on 11/23/2011

 

5out of 5

Chest Size: Feels true to size

Sleeve Length: Feels true to length

Pros: Lightweight, Breathable, Excellent hood, Waterproof, Ridiculously durable, Loop connect to pants, Durable

Best Uses: Getting Rad, Skiing, Picking up Chicks in Bar, Backcountry, Snowboarding

Describe Yourself: Expert

Gear Usage: Winter Sports, Work outside everyday, Cold Weather Living

Was this a gift?: No

Working outside every day at a ski mountain here in the PNW, having durable, breathable, waterproof outerwear is a must. A quick rundown on what makes this shell a worthy tool for the mountain environment:
1. Hood- Big enough to fit over a helmet but sculpted to work well without one. Cinches down well to not be annoying when not in use.
2. Zippers - Laminated, burly, never Jam.
3. Internal loops attach to pants- good system.
4. Construction - Articulated well in the right places, fat taped seams, superior breathablilty.

If you're looking for a jacked that is guaranteed to keep you dry, not sweat you out, last for a long time, and still allow you to not look like a tool, seriously consider getting yourself a Quantum.

(legalese)

The Danish - More than a delicious pastry.

Kan vi stå på ski i puden linjer?

Translated- Can we go skiing in the Pillow Lines?

Ok, so I don’t speak Danish, not even a little bit. I have however, had the pleasure of skiing with a few crews of talented Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian athletes this year. Most recently, I was visited by author/journalist Morten Agersnap for his second visit to the Pacific Northwest this year.

Here’s a fun film from their last trip. Hang on to the end- the BirdMan and I took the boys up the Icicle for some bluebird pow ripping and pavement snowmobile riding. Good times, great friends, can't wait to do it all again!

Thankful for Canada.

Nelson BC Leaflet - Classic.

Happy thanksgiving to all of my good friends and neighbors to the north! While not a Canadian myself, I feel compelled to give thanks today for all the top-shelf human beings that are.  Creative, polite, and patient sometimes to a fault; my life is enriched by the Canadians involved in it.  So while the beer prices piss me off and Vancouver traffic seethes with the panic of people escaping an impending Armageddon,  my heart and soul continue to be drawn northward- to the neighborly warmth, intellectual camaraderie, and sublime beauty resting just above the 49^th parallel.

On this Canadian Thanksgiving, I’m reminded of a leaflet I came across on my last trip to Nelson, pinned to a cork-board inside the Hostel kitchen.  Simply titled “Kootenay Is:” it encapsulates much of the romantic pedestal that, for better or for worse, I put Canada on.  Yeah, Canada’s not perfect; no place is, but seems to me there’s plenty of good to outweigh the bad. 

Kootenay Is:

People who wave, and people who wave back.

More schools than golf courses.

Local grocers. Local growers. Local eaters. Loco motives.

Happy people, hippie people, professional hipsters, and hip professionals.

It’s about shooting from the hip, raising your right foot when you get into town, and long talks and short drinks on tailgates and porches.

It’s about slowing down, going bigger, getting simpler.

It’s all about oil. Olive oil. Patchouli oil. Chain oil.

Bike chains and firewood chains.

It’s about turning off the TV and watching Channel 1 – the nature channel.

Weather or not, here we come.

It’s sleeping outside and smiling inside.

Where being 5 minutes late is early.

It’s about conquering ridges and losing control.

It’s about big-box parking for e-brake maneuvers.

It’s about walking.

It’s about sharing rides.

It’s a home and native land.

We have trees.

So my Canadian friends, Happy Thanksgiving.  I, for one, am thankful to have you has neighbors. So in the words of your very own Red Green, “You keep your stick on the ice.”

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should least find you handy."

Winter is Coming

Winter.

It’s the wax on our bases, the frost in the air,

The times with our friends, the mountain we share.

The season is coming, of that we are sure.

Winter at Stevens, a hundred proof pure.

The time is near my friends, I cant wait to shred with you all soon.