Welcome to my first blog ever and the first for the winter 2009.I'm a Profesional Snowboarder, Skier and Climber living in Chamonix France where I run McNab Snowsports, the Freeride, Freestyle and Backcountry Ski and Snowboard specialists, a company that I have been running now since 1995!
Whilst I post regular news on my site at www.mcnabsnowsports.com from now on I intend to also post my activities and thoughts here on my new Blog!
So far this winter I've been out filming around the Mont Blanc Massif, gethering footage for a 3 part DVD series on Snowboard technique that should be out for next winter (i'll keep you informed of progress here!) I've so far flimed some quite nice Freeride powder lines but the big snows are yet to come and as the sun is still low in the sky on the cold North Faces where the best powder is to be found, the light has been quite flat so far so the best is still to come. Having said that, yesterday was pretty fun over in Courmayeur hitting the secret spots around the resort boundaries where the snow still lies fresh and untracked even 7 days after the storm (a rare thing in the Mont Blanc Massif!)
I'm working the next few days with a Private client, some Freeride technique on a one to one basis and then next week my manic seasons starts with BC and Freeride courses right through until May when I finish with a BC trip to Norway after Heli Boarding in Russia, Kamchatka.
Hope you'll find the news from the coming winter interesting and I'll update soon.
Here's a few topics I'll be airing my thoughts on over the next few weeks and months.
1. Why are most snowboarders happy to be average? I see riders who have been riding for years, some that even do season after season who just never get any better due to faults in their very basic technique. Why don't they just take some time to sort it out?
2. The snowboard stance? Snowboarding is one of the only sports were most of its participants stand in such an un-natural bio-mechanically incorrect twisted stance and think they're doing it right!
3. Backcountry safety! The Backcountry is no longer extreme? How can this be when the mountains haven't changed. Is it only our attitude to them that has changed? After a big storm we used to let the mountain settle for a day or two, now the race is on to be first and fastest!
OK, enough words for my first Blog hit.
Back soon,
Neil.
