The good news is that this year’s token snowboarder is US Olympic Boardercross racer Seth Wescott. Seth is best known for his impressive Olympic gold medals for boardercross, so this is a great opportunity for him to show off on a gorgeous bluebird day in Alaska.

All sarcasm aside, I am actually looking forward to seeing Tim Durtschi’s part as well. I coached with Tim a couple of years ago at the Alyeska Summer Camp, and was impressed by both his skiing and his coaching ability.

Bottom line is that it’s a ski flick that usually showcases a couple minutes of decent snowboarding. This years’ segment should be worth watching. If you want to check it out, the premiere’s a usually great places to pick up some swag, enter in contests, and maybe get a few free days of riding, depending on which premiere you hit up.

Trailer:

For more information, read the press release below, or check out http://www.skinet.com/warrenmiller/

“What a difference a storm makes,” said Krista Parry, director of marketing and communications for Park City Mountain Resort. “It just takes one big storm, like this one, to get the mountain in excellent shape.”

Park City Mountain Resort is scheduled to open Crescent, Thaynes and Pioneer lifts on Monday, December 14 to accompany the five lifts that are already running. The Resort’s snow safety and slope maintenance teams are working feverishly to open the majority of the terrain served via these lifts, once the snow safety team deems them safe. McConkey’s lift is scheduled to open on Tuesday, December 15.

Click the following link for a video showcasing the work required to open terrain after a storm of this magnitude: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5SY22OXy3s.

About Park City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain Resort, the most accessible mountain resort in North America, is located in the heart of Park City, Utah and is only a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. With 3,300 acres of unspoiled terrain, the Resort offers groomed Signature Runs™, bumps, powder, trees, eight peaks, nine bowls, four terrain parks, and the Eagle Superpipe. Park City Mountain Resort was once again ranked a top-five resort by the readers of SKI and Transworld Snowboarding magazines and a top-10 ski resort in North America by Conde Nast Traveler. For more information, visit www.parkcitymountain.com or call (800) 222-PARK.

“Thanks to cold temperatures we have made 200 percent more snow this year than we did at the same time last season,” said Brent Giles, director of mountain operations. “Our entire Resort team has been working hard to ensure we deliver the great mountain experience our guests have come to expect from us on opening day.”

The Resort is scheduled to have two runs available to guests on opening day. These include Homerun, serviced by PayDay lift, and Turtle Trail, serviced by First Time lift, with additional terrain available as conditions permit. Park City Mountain Resort will also open with an early season terrain park on Homerun including two jumps and 10 features. Lift ticket pricing on opening day is as follows:

* Adults (ages 13 and up): $50 full-day/$35 half-day
* Children (ages 7-12): $30 full-day/$20 half-day
* Children six and under ski free with a paying adult

Additional Park City Mountain Resort operations scheduled to begin on Saturday, November 21 include the following:
Legacy Sports: 8:00 am. – 6:00 p.m.
Alpine Coaster: noon – 4:00 p.m.
Kristi’s Coffee Café: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Legacy Café: 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Legends Bar & Grill: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6jZ6PSX7rg for a video showcasing Park City Mountain Resort’s preparations for opening day.

About Park City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain Resort, named the most accessible mountain resort in North America by the readers of SKI magazine, is located in the heart of Park City, Utah and is only a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. With 3,300 acres of unspoiled terrain, the Resort offers groomed Signature Runs™, bumps, powder, trees, eight peaks, nine bowls, four terrain parks, and the Eagle Superpipe. Park City Mountain Resort was once again ranked a Top-five resort by the readers of SKI and Transworld Snowboarding magazines. For more information, visit www.parkcitymountain.com or call (800) 222-PARK.

Terrain Park Manager Jeremy Cooper and park crew have built a variety of features on Homerun for opening day, November 21. Features include two 30-35 foot jumps, two 10 – 15 foot jumps and 10 jibs.

Additional opening day terrain will include two trails, Homerun, serviced by Payday lift and Turtle Trail, serviced by First Time lift.

Additional terrain and park features will be added as conditions allow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcmr/sets/72157622720096431/

“Park City Mountain Resort is committed to maintaining a leadership position in the action sports world,” said Jenni Smith, vice president of Resort Administration for Park City Mountain Resort. “We believe that Jeremy’s experience and passion will us allow us to continue to push our progression within the industry.”

Cooper began his career as a park builder at Mammoth Mountain in 2002 and became park manager at June Mountain in 2005. Under his management, June’s parks were ranked among the top in the country by several industry publications. In his new position at Park City Mountain Resort, Cooper will oversee the design, maintenance and construction of the Resort’s four terrain parks and of the Eagle Superpipe. He will also be responsible for managing the Park City All-Star team and will serve as the voice of Park City Mountain Resort in action sports forums and social networks.

“I’ve always kept an eye on what Park City Mountain Resort is doing and I am very excited to now be a part of this progressive team,” said Cooper. “I look forward to building upon the Resort’s reputation and pushing the limits of snowboarding and freestyle skiing.”

Cooper comes to the resort following the departure of Director of Action Sports Marketing, Jim Mangan. Mangan was successful in positioning Park City Mountain Resort as one of the most recognized action sports resorts in the world. He created a world-class team of athletes, with the Park City All-Stars, and designed terrain parks that were named the best parks in the country by several industry publications. During his tenure at Park City Mountain Resort, Mangan directed and produced two action sports films, “City. Park City.” and “I Ride Park City”, which featured several of the Park City All-Stars. Mangan is moving on to pursue a career in film.

“We are grateful for the leadership and direction that Jim provided during his seven years at the Resort and we wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor,” said Smith.

Up to date information on Park City Mountain Resort parks and pipes can be found at www.pcride.com.

About Park City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain Resort, the most accessible mountain resort in North America, is located in the heart of Park City, Utah and is only a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. With 3,300 acres of unspoiled terrain, the Resort offers groomed Signature Runs™, bumps, powder, trees, eight peaks, nine bowls, four terrain parks, and the Eagle Superpipe. Park City Mountain Resort was once again ranked a Top-five resort by the readers of SKI magazine and a Top-ten resort by the readers of Skiing, Freeskier and Transworld Snowboarding magazines. For more information, visit www.parkcitymountain.com or call (800) 222-PARK.

SAN LEANDRO, California—October 22, 2009—The North Face, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, and Mountain Sports International (MSI), North America’s leading developer and producer of action-adventure sports events and programming, today announced The North Face Masters of Snowboarding presented by Primaloft (TNF Masters) 2010 Tour Dates.

In its third year, the largest big mountain snowboarding tour in the country, TNF Masters features a prize purse of $45,000. Taking place at three world-class venues, TNF Masters will return to Snowbird, Utah, January 22-25, and Kirkwood, California, February 25-28. A new stop this year, Crystal Mountain, Washington, will host the tour February 9-12. Registration for all events opens Tuesday, December 15, 2010, at 10:00 AM MST, www.thenorthfacemasters.com–age 18 years of age or above.

“Crystal Mountain features a terrific, awe-inspiring new territory and promising conditions,” said Katie Ramage, Sports Marketing Manager for The North Face. “Crystal’s ease of access will allow more riders to participate this year and give more spectators the ability to watch. Everyone is really looking forward to seeing what competitors will bring to the new terrain.”

Designed to cater to the motivation, talent and skill of world-class big mountain riders, TNF Masters serves as a qualifier for the Freeride World Tour’s Nissan Tram Face at Squaw Valley, California. The top male and female winners of each TNF Masters tour stop qualify for the event.

Gathering big mountain snowboard riders and fans worldwide, TNF Masters is predicting competitors from a number of countries and backgrounds. In addition, TNF Masters is proud to welcome back judges Tom Burt, Temple Cummins, Andy Hetzel and Julie Zell.

“TNF Masters series is in its third season of showcasing what most freeriders want to see – riders showing their skills on big mountain terrain, not just the park, pipe or rails,” said Tom, Burt, Head Judge of The North Face Masters of Snowboarding. “These competitions are tough to judge due to the high quality of riding and the variety of styles, but it is an incredible event to watch and be a part of. I am looking forward to see the next level of competition that will happen this season.”

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding Presented by Primaloft 2010 Schedule
Snowbird, Utah. January 22-25, 2010
Crystal Mountain, Washington. February 9-12, 2010
Kirkwood, California. February 25-28, 2010

Registration: www.thenorthfacemasters.com

MSI will produce same day coverage of Semi-Final and Final rounds of each TNF Masters which can be found on www.thenorthfacemasters.com. Complete videos, photos, athlete and judge profiles, detailed event schedules and registration information is available.

The North Face supports big mountain sports around the world including The North Face European Ski Challenge, The North Face South American Freeskiing Championships, The Masters of Snowboarding and the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour.

The North Face Masters Presented by Primaloft is supported by Subaru of America, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Crystal Mountain, Crystal Mountain Hotels, and Snowboard Magazine.

Want more? Check out www.thenorthfacemasters.com

About MSI
Mountain Sports International (MSI) is a private company, founded in 1997, to develop and produce action/adventure sports events and programming in North America. MSI owns and produces the U.S. Freeskiing Series, the U.S. Skiercross Series, and the Freeskiing World Tour, in addition to several other properties and concepts. MSI provides event management services for Burton, Salomon, and Red Bull and has provided infrastructure and expertise for the NBC Gravity Games and ESPN Action Sports Projects, including the Tony Hawk Gigantic Skatepark Tour. MSI specializes in matching clients with events for brand penetration into target demographics, developing product identification and loyalty. MSI matches brand and culture, company and credibility to create sought-after events that help to define the action sports culture.

About The North Face
The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company’s products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running, and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains.

With out a doubt Snowbird is the best resort in the Wasach Front! This is going to be my second full season of snowboarding here in Utah, and I would recommend Snowbird to be on the list for everyone who visits Salt Lake City. I moved here just over a year ago and have been to quite a few resort and Snowbird, by far, has the best runs, accomodations and to top it off overall atmosphere.

To add to the winter season, Snowbird also offers snowmobiling packages. If your not into the outdoor winter activites, there are great shops, resturants and spas to hang out in.

Not only is this a great resort for the winter but Snowbird also has many summer activites as well. Right now they have Octoberfest going on, which is great for everyone who wants to get away from the city during the weekend and relax in a beautiful fall surroundings, which does include great food and drinks.

I would recommend everyone who visits Utah for any season to check out Snowbird resort and get a taste and what Utah is about.

(Park City, UT) September 16, 2009 – Rick Alden, founder and CEO of Skullcandy, has been named one-of-five finalists for the Entrepreneur of 2009 contest in Entrepreneur magazine presented by The UPS Store®, perhaps the most prestigious award bestowed upon entrepreneurs today. Now through October 12, 2009, Skullcandy customers and supporters can vote for industry veteran Alden to become the Entrepreneur of 2009 at entrepreneur.com/e2009/vote/established.

“All of the finalists exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit and are making a real impact with their businesses,” said Amy Cosper, VP/editor in chief at Entrepreneur. “While they’re at the top of our list, it’s ultimately up to the business community to decide who their favorite is by voting. We encourage everyone to go online now to make their pick.”

“Each of the finalists is making a big difference with his or her business, and they represent the innovative entrepreneurs we see in our centers every day,” said Tom Crockett, vice president of sales and marketing at Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., franchisor of The UPS Store. “We look forward to seeing whom the entrepreneurial community chooses as the winners.”

Skullcandy’s success is a result of Alden’s over 20 year career in the snowboard, surf, and skate industries. Skullcandy was an effort to strap time proven core-marketing techniques onto an entirely new product category for the action sports retail environment. Later, these products were rolled out through more traditional consumer electronic retailers. Alden’s strategy proved to successful as Skullcandy quickly grew to become the second most sold headphone brand in the world.

“The greatest part of Skullcandy for me has been the association with an incredible team of employees. Being blessed to work with these people every day is the best part of the ride,” Alden stated. “I likely have a dysfunctionaly high opinion of the importance of entrepreneurship in America, so to be included with this caliber of other founders in the premier magazine for entrepreneurs, as one of the five finalists is an insane honor.”

In 2003, Alden launched Skullcandy to integrate audio and mobile technologies into skateboard, snowboard and lifestyle products. In just six years, Skullcandy has introduced a line of more than 100 SKU’s of headphones as well as many other audio products, such as backpacks with built in speakers and iPod accessories to over 50 countries. Skullcandy currently has collaborations with artists and brands such as Snoop Dogg, Mix Master Mike, Def Jam Records, Giro Helmets, Smith Optics, Paul Frank, Von Zipper, Dragon Alliance and many others.

To see Alden’s full business profile and video—and to vote, go to entrepreneur.com/e2009/vote/established.php#633 and entrepreneur.com/e2009.

Richard Bass, who owns the prominent Utah resort, has partnered with William H. Hunt to form PacRim Coal LLC, which has submitted permit applications to build a coal mine directly on top of 11 miles of prime salmon fisheries feeding the Cook Inlet. Nearly all the coal excavated from the mine, located about 45 miles from Anchorage, would be exported to coal markets in China and other Pacific Rim countries. The Chuitna mine would produce more than 12 million tons of coal annually, which when burned, would emit more than 27 million tons of carbon dioxide.

“It’s sadly ironic that the owner of a business that is solely dependent upon heavy snowfall and consistent winters is pushing a project that is a direct threat to the ski industry and completely contrary to the ideals of outdoor recreation,” said Ryan Demmy Bidwell with the Ski Area Citizen’s Coalition. “Coal is the single largest source of global warming pollution on the planet. We’re already seeing impacts on climate and weather patterns in the West. And this man wants to sell millions of tons of coal to China so it can be burned? Utah skiers and backcountry enthusiasts should be outraged.”

Bass’ mine proposal is even more hypocritical, conservation groups say, since Snowbird has been an active participant in the National Ski Area Associations Sustainable Slopes program, whose environmental initiatives include reducing greenhouse gas emissions from resorts in order to protect the climate.

“Snowbird has been one of the leading ski areas in terms of addressing global warming,” said Mark Clemens with the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club. “In fact, they were the top award recipient from the NSAA in 2007. That’s what makes this proposed coal mine by Mr. Bass so troubling.”

Over 50 national organizations and businesses made recommendations that were incorporated in the Sustainable Slopes charter, a program designed to make ski resorts more environmentally friendly. Clemens doubts any of the participating organizations would be too thrilled to know that Bass was planning to develop a large coal mine.

“I can’t help but believe that some might consider this a real slap in the face” he said.”

In addition to its contributions to global warming, the mine would destroy one of Alaska’s most productive salmon fisheries. According to three scientific analyses of the mine’s impacts being released today, it is highly unlikely that the river’s fishery would ever recover from damage done by the mining. This year, the Chuitna River was one of the few rivers in the Cook Inlet region where fisherman enjoyed a healthy king salmon run. But if the mine is built, the studies determined, damage done directly to the streams and approximately 30 square miles of surrounding riparian habitat within the watershed would be irreversible.

“We want to keep Utah cool and Alaska wild,” said Dan Ritzman, the Western Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “We aim to show that sparing the climate hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 pollution and protecting this fragile fishery are better long-term investments for local economies in Utah and Alaska. In today’s transition to a greener economy, investments in coal are simply wasted dollars.”