It’s not backcountry skiing per se, but I have to plug the US Telemark Ski Team as they represent what “backcountry skiing” used to be…well sort…at least the free heel part. My wife, Jeannine, is a member of the ski team, although is admittedly having a more difficult time training this year, being in Seattle versus Whitefish, MT, for the past two winters.
You can view what’s happening with the team on their site – http://www.ustsa.org – as they travel the globe, competing against the best telemark skiers in the world. Even better, show your support by donating to the team (so the athletes can do what they do best – race!) or at least try attending a telemark race, which is, by the way, a lot more exciting than you’d think.
I agree, although more of the ski industry is in Seattle, it seems like an odd choice. They need our support!
They surely do. I think if more folks saw what a Classic Telemark race entails, they’d be inclined to watch. It’s pretty damn exciting and very physically challenging.