This is Episode Three of our on-mountain look at some of next season’s gear. Previously we sent our reporter to Golden Alpine Holidays with the Blank Collective. This time, we send him into the backcountry of Banff and Kootenay National Parks with pro skier and friend of Fresh Skis, Rob Heule, for a week-long chance to test gear.   The trip: Starting at Sunshine Village, Rob, myself, and photographer Bruno Long headed into the Mt. Ball area and then further on to Storm Mountain. After a re-supply on Highway 93s, we slogged our way to the Valley of the Ten Peaks to ski 3,3-4 Couloir on our ..read more

Tailgating and skiing have been lovers since they met. The very first people who used a combustion engine to drive to a ski slope pulled a bottle of wine and a baguette out of their trunk. I guarantee it. A good day of skiing leaves you hungry, thirsty, and ready to relax while recounting your adventures and wipeouts. During this, our winter of Covid, it’s time to perfect the art of parking lot apres skiing. So here’s our advice for the greatest skier’s tailgate party. Personally, my earliest, admittedly lame attempts at tailgating were financially motivated. As a teen, I couldn’t carry enough ..read more

The Rec League is an expression pro skiers and mountain bikers use. It’s a term of respect, sometimes even jealousy, but it can also be used as a slight when needed. They use this term to describe guys and girls who have real jobs that afford them the time and income to pursue mountain sports, nearly at the same level as their sponsored, unemployed friends, but without any of the same commitments. Long-time Fresh customer, Harley Hegnauer has perfected the role and been on the team for so long, that he now holds the title: Prince of the Rec League. The key to the precarious title Har ..read more

Can the Dreaded November Raincrust Actually Be a Good Thing? It’s a magical time every year when Calgarians first look west and notice the Rocky Mountain peaks are once again white. It’s a time when mountain bikers are hammering their final rides of the season, and skiers are starting to dig out Goretex, wax up skis, and generally get fidgety. The earlier it snows in the hills, the better, right? Not so fast. The young and the stoked get excited whenever that first flake flies, but the old and jaded wonder if it isn’t’ a bit too early. They know that a layer of snow that sits for too long, wa ..read more

Spring is here, and the backcountry snowpack is finally allowing skiers to cautiously explore some of the chutes and lines they’ve been waiting all season for. Last week Fresh talked to Colin Puskas about his season exploring the Purcell Mountains with Rob Heule. When we asked Rob for photos, he sent us videos and images from one line in particular that we think sums up the tandem’s season. They called it the Fish Taco Couloir. The duo covered so much country this winter that we have no idea where this line is (and they aren’t telling anyone!). Still, this new descent seems like a real victor ..read more

An old Friend of Fresh and OG of the Calgary freeski scene, Colin Puskas spends his winters exploring the BC interior on skis and snowmobile, but we caught up with him for a great day of early spring touring in the Rockies. We wanted to hear how his gear’s been working, where he’s finding good skiing and how he’s been staying safe through a difficult season. It ended up being one of the best days of the winter as avalanche hazard had finally decreased, and the steep north faces still held fantastic snow. Under blue skies and no wind, we put in a solid effort that paid off with a dream run we’l ..read more

Travelling the world is not a lot of fun during a pandemic. But Fresh athlete Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson is making it look pretty darn good while keeping it safe.  The ski legend used the mandatory downtime last spring to further advance his ski boot designs. By August he needed to get closer to Dynafit headquarters to show them his work and finish a prototype. So Hoji flew to Austria to isolate in the workshop belonging to Fritz Barthel, the famous designer and engineer of the original tech bindings.  For the next two months he worked nonstop bringing his vision to life. By the end of ..read more

NASCAR to Nowhere, BC; Cole Pearn and Golden Alpine Holidays Racing through snow-covered trees, Cole Pearn spotted the powder landing, passed Jen Ashton on the inside and launched the cliff into the fresh stash below. With a clean landing, he accelerated away, leaving a cloud of smoke behind. The three-time world freeskiing champion, Jen, recalls, “We were hesitating above this drop, and our tail guide just rips down and launches it.” It was early December 2019, and Cole was not just the tail guide; he was also the new owner of the lodge they were skiing touring out of. He didn’t mean to ..read more

Backcountry skiing ain’t easy, especially when you are starting out. But it gets easier and here to help are backcountry legend Eric Hjorleifson and ACMG Ski Guide Martin Lefebvre with a few tips. Every year, these two team up on the Freeride Camps at Golden Alpine Holidays, a series of four-day camps out of remote lodges that offer skiers deep powder, pillows, and as much or as little instruction as they want. Martin Lefebvre, who’s been guiding the camps for almost a decade, and Eric Hjorleifson have a lot to teach would-be backcountry skiers, so we asked their campers to chime in with ..read more

“In 1932 the American and Canadian Governments approved legislation for the creation of the world's first International Peace Park. The International Peace Park is a symbol of peace and goodwill between the United States and Canada. It also represents the need for cooperation and stewardship in a world of shared resources.” We gas up in Pincher Creek and slip back onto the highway for another half hour of pavement glazed over by, blowing snow. The wind in this area never stops. Ever. We manage to keep it on the road for 30 km, and then, suddenly, the Rocky Mountains jut up above us in the ..read more