…from the crew that brought you the Ski Barn. Welcome to Durango.
2011 Volkl Attiva Sol Ski w/ Bindings
Game improving performance, tailored to fit a lady’s needs.
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/clearance/cheap-skis/2011-volkl-attiva-sol-ski-w-binding.html
Salomon Twenty Twelve
The Twenty Twelve from Salomon really caught me off guard. When they first revealed it, I was a total skeptic. Rockered park ski…what a joke! Well, after skiing it several times over the past couple of years I am beginning to think that I should buy myself a pair.
The Twenty Twelve comes with generous amounts of tip and tail rocker, but also a generous amount of camber underfoot. At 123-91-116 the Twenty Twelve is an all mountain jibbers dream ski. Salomon has branded it with their big mountain freeskis, but I would personally put it in with their park and pipe line-up.
Once you get these sticks on the snow they perform. The generous amount of camber underfoot really lets you lay over your turns and dig trenches on the hard pack. However, you are still gonna have to get used to the floppy tip and tail. It doesn’t affect the way it skis, but definitely takes some getting used to. The rocker in the tip and tail make for effortless buttering off of rollers or onto rails. It also comes in handy when you find yourself hunting out stashes in the trees on the backside of the mountain. At 91mm underfoot this ski is not going to be your best friend on the deep days, but anything less than 6 inches and you are stoked to have the Twenty Twelve out.
The Twenty Twelve is a ski that just about anyone can have fun on. It is easy to handle and won’t punish you for getting lazy on it, but you can also drive it hard and chances are you will not be able to overpower it if you are skiing it in the proper length. The Twenty Twelve is going to best suit the new school skier who spends time in the park, but also likes to venture around and treat the entire mountain as a playground.
Find it here:
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/salomon-twenty-twelve-ski-2012.html
Volkl Mantra
There is not a whole lot you can say about a ski that has been having things said about itself for so many years. The Volkl Mantra has proven itself time and again all over the mountain. It works great as an alpine touring ski, a powder ski, an everyday ski, a one ski quiver, the list goes on.
What happens when you take something so good and change it a bit though? The Mantra didn’t change much, but the good people over at Volkl gave it a bit of rocker in the tip and a couple millimeters more width. The Volkl Mantra is available in 170cm, 177cm, 184cm and 191cm lengths. Its’ new dimensions are 132-98-118 (the old dimensions were 133-96-116).
I am very skeptical about all the rocker happening in the ski industry. You will be hard pressed to find a pair of skis that carry traditional camber anymore. It is going to take some getting used to, but it will have to be done because rocker technologies are here to stay.
The Volkl Mantra is a ski that inspires confidence at speed. It begs you to go faster and drive it harder. I found that the older Mantra carved a bit better than the new version, but that is not to say that you cannot lay over the new Mantra and dig trenches on the hardest of snow. Thanks to its’ race construction and two sheets of titanal the Mantra is stiff and will hold its’ edge on the hardest of snow. The small amount of tip rocker they added also allow this ski to get on edge easier than before.
When diving into trees and hunting out stashes of soft snow the tip rocker really helped the Mantra in a way that was needed. I found that the old Mantra liked to dive in deeper snow. It was happier pushing through the deepest spots and breaking crud trying to prove itself as a workhorse. It worked harder not smarter. The tip rocker in the new Mantra keeps these puppies on top of the snow and quite a bit more nimble when roosting through tight trees.
The only spot I found that I don’t like to ski the Mantra is in the bumps. It has a wide chassis that is not fun to try and zipper through and with two sheets of metal it is snappy and stiff. These are not fun characteristics of a ski when dodging Volkswagen sized bumps. I felt as if I were getting bucked like a cowboy on the back of a horse.
If you enjoy skiing powerfully and fast in all conditions I would recommend that you get on a pair of Mantra’s. They will perform for you no matter how hard you drive them (don’t get lazy on them though, you will pay). They eat ice for breakfast and powder for dinner, not stopping in between for lunch knowing there is more terrain to tear up. Jump on a pair and find out for yourself.
As a guy that is spends half his time riding backwards on skis, I am not typically into non twin-tip skis. However, these skis are just flat out fun and would not think twice about buying my own pair.
Find it here:
So the inevitable has arrived… No more skiing!!! (For most of us anyway.) What is a person to do with themselves when they dedicate an entire lifetime and focus to a single sport, but find themselves cut short on a yearly basis? (I say this only because there are a select few with the proper knowledge and skill that it requires to stay out longer than the rest of us and seek out those last turns of the season.) Well… if you live in Durango, you break out the bike, most of who probably did months ago, and start to pedal!
It is summer training season. Time to get in shape for the first of turns to come next year. Some people see this in the opposite way, where skiing is a way to stay in shape for the bike season, but that is neither here nor there. Let us talk about why this article was really written..We follow the frozen water.
I was supposed to be spending the weekend in Fruita, CO for the weekend with a couple of family members and friends. Plans do not always seem to work out in your favor, and due to several imposing factors I did not make it. I was bummed, but I was determined to not let that destroy my weekend.
I wind up going out on Friday night and diving a bit deeper into the abyss than was planned. Everyone else seemed to do the same, because all the people that said they wanted to go biking… did not make it biking.
Saturday morning rolls around and I feel extremely lazy as I lay in bed. It doesn’t matter. I have places to be. I told people we were biking last night. Time to get moving.
After all was said and done it was Ryder and I. We decided to ride up the Colorado Trail via. Hoffheins connection. This was the first that I have ridden in this area of Durango. Do not ask me why… I have been here for 7 years and just never managed to make it (riding bikes in Durango is a new adventure everyday. there is always something new to check out right in your own backyard.).
We made it to the trail debating whether or not wind would be a factor. It was not. As soon as we started ascending, we dipped into the trees. We also dipped into some of the most fun, smooth, and manicured singletrack that I have ever ridden. This is the type of trail that you dream about… hooking your tires up around mini-berms and wheeling through dips at ridiculous speeds. We pedaled for a solid three hours. Straight up Hoffheins and then right on up the Colorado Trail.
Ryder and I pedaled a lot further than I ever would have imagined that we would make it this day ( I was extremely hungover mind you…that disappeared after about an hour of pedaling). We pedaled about eight to nine miles up today, and finally have to call it quits when we reach snow that we can no longer pass. We were pretty bummed out at this point. Neither of us were ready to turn back, but after several snow fields every 50 yards, you just can’t pedal anymore.
Silver Mountain
After a short break we turn the bikes around and start to descend. This section of trail is amazing. We attempt the no pedal-no brake, but some corners are just too tight. The singletrack is amazing though. Smooth and flowing. The descent never seems to last as long as I want it to. It is over much quicker than I had anticipated. We were moving pretty fast though.
We retire to the house and BBQ some dinner, and start talking about the next ride for tomorrow. We really come up with nothing. Maybe we are too tired to think?
We wake and mill about the house as we talk about where to ride. We decide that we are going to try and access the Indian Ridge trail at the top of the Hotel Draw road to the west of Purgatory. We quickly find out the access gate is closed and we cannot make back there. Our original plan is shot.
We decide to take a drive up Coalbank Pass and over to the top of Molas Pass. We do a little scouting and decide that we will have to drop in elevation to get any pedaling in.
The view looking west from the top of Molas Pass
We finally pull over and check out the Engineer Mountain Trailhead. Looks dry. We start unloading bikes and throw on a couple extra layers. The wind was howling and the temperature had dropped. Off we go.
The climb up this trail is not exactly friendly. It is steep and it is long. Combined with the wind, this made for some heavy duty pedaling.
Gorgeous Views & Great Singletrack. Ryder Okumura pedaling.
The top of Engineer Mountain in the distance
Ryder pedaling round the pond.
We keep at the pedaling for a while and really start to gain some elevation. For some reason my chain decided that it would best to snap and cover itself in dirt about halfway up. So we break, fix my chain and eat some snacks.
Broken Chain
Myself fixing my chain.
Back to it. We continue climbing for about another hour or so, and then it happens again. The trail disappears into a snow field. We climb through several of them, in hopes that the trail will open up into a meadow again, but just like the previous day the higher we go the more snow drifts there are to pass.
Not an enormous obstacle, but when trail disappears into these every 50 yards...Time to turn around.
It is somewhat anticlimactic at the top. We were hoping to pop out of the forest and have a clear view of Engineer, but it just never happened. I was somewhat disappointed, but knowing that I have miles of amazing singletrack to rip down brings the stoke right back up.
Looking east to the Needle Mountains. Some of the most gnarly and beautiful mountains in there.
Looking south. Purgatory is the last horizon on the right. HWY 550.
And so it begins again! Our descent. This is one of the first times that I have ever stopped and taken pictures on a descent. I am usually having so much fun that I just keep going. Don’t get me wrong…I had an awesome time on this one too, but felt like this ride needed some documentation.
Myself demonstrating the proper way to split seas.
Ryder ripping down.
Super smooth singletrack. Brraaaaaapppppp!
We messed around a little on the way down with some follow cam footage, but quickly figured out we need something more stable. Watching the video later almost made me sick. It was quite dizzying.
We got back to the car and had a few post-ride beers before heading back to town. We decide that there are so many more rides that need to be done before the summer is over so we plan to try and mission every single weekend. There is so much to ride here with so little time. There is a plethora of trails in the San Juan’s, the La Plata’s and all surrounding areas.
Post-Ride Beers are delicious!
At this particular time in the season we unintentionally find ourselves Following the Frozen Water!
It has been a long winter for us here at the shop, but we got our day! We closed the doors for the day so that we could all take a day and ski together (something that does not typically happen). Unfortunately, we were missing a couple people due to circumstances that I am sure were out of their hands. But never the less we had a ripping good time. We had beverages, I saw more splaffies than I could count and numerous maneuvers that had probably not been done since the 80′s!
From Left to Right: Ben DeVoti, Kevin Smith, Eric Hanson, Adam Bojan, Hunter Allen, Alex Umbhau, Jackson Lacek
Not Pictured: Rick Mackewen, Eric Bojan, Kenny Malara, Jake Holland, Jim Drumstas, Elise Thatcher, Travis Newell, Jared Koreski.
Notice the jackets that Ben, Adam, and Hunter have on. Rick had brought everyone a sweet old school Spyder jacket that only world cup race coaches can get. Stoked!
Possibly with a slight swerve Adam demonstrates how good he can make a 20 year old Spyder coat look!
Alex demonstrating proper technique on a sideways cross up.
Hunter here, thinks it is a good idea to throw 540's over the tables on Tele-skis. Nobody else agrees.
Kevin thinks he can fly! Flap harder through your late 180's!
Eric showed up at the end of the day and decided that it would be a good idea to start learning corked 7's with bottles of beer in his jacket. Let me repeat that BOTTLES (not cans) BOTTLES!
All in all we had an excellent time at the mountain! On behalf of the Ski Barn crew we would like to thank Jurgen & Sachiko Umbhau for a ripping good time!
Well it is that time of year again… Time to wax and hang up the skis and bring out the bikes.
This is the time of year though to start stocking up for next winter. Think of yourself as a squirrel, horde all your goodies away until it is time to use them again. Now it is time to buy and stock up for the coming snow season.
Below are some of the best deals that www.skibarndurango.com has to offer at the moment. Click on the links below the items to learn more about the product and purchase if desired. (Remember, multiple Item orders receive an extra 10% off)
Trew Gear
All 30% off!
Pow Funk Jacket
MSRP=$479.00
Eagle Pant
MSRP=$369.00
Cosmic Jacket
MSRP=$459.00
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=trew&x=22&y=15
2009 Rossignol S4 Squindo
160 cm only
MSRP= $850.00
On Sale For $275.00
Save 68%
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/rossignol-s4-squindo-160cm.html
2009 Head Mojo One
178 cm only
MSRP= $640.00
On Sale For $250.00
Save 61%
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/head-mojo-one-178cm.html
2010 K2 Hell Bent
169 & 179 Available
MSRP= $925.00
On Sale For $510.95
Save 45%
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/2010-k2-hellbent.html
2010 Dynastar Legend Sultan 85
158 cm Only
MSRP= $760.00
On Sale For $389.00
Save 49%
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/2010-dynastar-legend-sultan-85.html
2010 Lange Banshee Men’s Ski Boot
Size’s 7.5 & 11.5 available
MSRP= $580.00
On Sale For $299.00
Save 49%
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/lange-banshee-ski-boot.html
2010 Rossignol Voodoo SC74 Women’s Ski
146cm & 154cm Available
MSRP= $550.00
On Sale For $299.99
Save 46%
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/2010-rossignol-voodoo-sc74-ski.html
2010 Rossignol S6 Caballero Ski
174 cm Only
MSRP= $850.00
On Sale For $419.99
Save 51%
http://shop.skibarndurango.com/2010-rossignol-s6-caballero-ski.html
Hi there everybody! I just wanted to let everyone know that the Ski Barn is open for the 09/10 season. Most of the new gear has arrived and is looking good.
We are having a Pre-Season sale on September the 12th from 9 in the morning til 5 in the afternoon.
Season Rentals will be available for all. We have a new Performance Season Package for adults this year.
If you can’t make it to the sale, check out www.skibarndurango.com for great deals on last year’s product or this year’s new product.
Hope to see you there! Remember…Pray For Snow!
skibarn
umbhau
kmsmith109