01.20.2011– Salt Lake City, Utah– Beyond Coastal, the Sun Valley, ID and Salt Lake City, UT-based manufacturer of premium sun care products for the outdoor lifestyle, is pleased to announce support of several top skiers straight from the company’s snow-crazed backyards. On the team for 2011 are Salt Lake skiers, Grete Eliassen, McKenna Peterson, and Caroline Gleich and Sun Valley-based pros Conor Davis and Danny Walton.

Each skier brings a unique skill set as the crew’s specialties include freeskiing, telemark, big mountain, and downhill. This youthful team is united by their ambitious goals and new media mastery, bringing fans as close to the action as possible via the social web, video, and TV content. These skiers also share a keen understanding of the potential skin damage they face while spending countless hours outside at high elevation and do their best to spread a safe sun care message to their peers.

Eliassen, a regular in major media like Shape magazine and ESPN, has a longstanding love affair with sunscreen. “Sun exposure is a significant part of my life since I’m always outside and, it might sound crazy, but I’m addicted to sunscreen. I wear Beyond Coastal Active 15 on my face everyday and try to educate my friends and other skiers about its importance,” Eliassen said. “The advice I give to my friends is don’t be afraid to use sunscreen. You only have one face and you need to protect it.”

Roster Profiles:
• Grete Eliassen is a bilingual freeskiing sensation, blending her Norweigan roots with electric freestyle skills honed in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is a four-time U.S. Open freeskiing champion and has won X Games’ gold and silver medals.

• Conor Davis, the poster boy for Sun Valley Resort, is a young skier who puts in an incredible amount of days skiing (167 in 2010) and regularly showcases his versatility in alpine freeskiing competitions on his tele boards.

• McKenna Petersen is a Sun Valley transplant, currently attending the University of Utah while competing in the Freeski World Tour. She also runs the University of Utah ski and snowboard club (1,000+ student members).

• Caroline Gleich, covergirl for SKI magazine’s January 2011 issue, is a USSA Level II Certified Freeride Coach and big mountain skier who also attends the University of Utah.

• Danny Walton is a Sun Valley telemark skiing wunderkind. He is responsible for organizing the Northern Rockies Telemark Institute Clinics, as well as several Sun Valley Telemark Series events.

Beyond Coastal’s sun care products appeal to outdoor athletes because they are formulated to deliver skin-nourishing ingredients such as Green Tea, Grape Seed, and Shea Butter while offering complete broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. It puts back what the elements strip away. Always Paraben Free, Petroleum Free, Fragrance Free, and Cruelty Free Beyond Coastal is for athletes and enthusiasts alike who spend a ton of time outdoors. In 2011, Beyond Coastal will bring to market its newest product, the Facestick, answering the “call of the gloved” by helping snowsports’ athletes wearing bulky gloves to simply remove the top and rub on high exposure areas.

Beyond Coastal produces some of the highest quality skin protection on the market and is top rated by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an independent, non-profit consumer research group. Find fresh and exciting content from each of these athletes on Beyond Coastal’s social channels including Facebook and Twitter.

About Beyond Coastal
Beyond Coastal’s mission is to offer the cleanest, healthiest sun care products possible at a reasonable price. Their formulas contain natural ingredients; Yerba Mate, Green Tea, Algae Extract, Grape Seed, Pro Vitamin B and Rose Hip Oil that Protect, Nourish, Repair, and
Hydrate. It’s nutrition for the skin!

Please visit: www.beyondcoastal.com and facebook.com/BeyondCoastal

It’s been snowing here in Revelstoke almost non-stop since the Freeskiing World Tour arrived here a couple days ago. Revelstoke Mountain Resort has reported 55cm (21.7in) in the last 48hours! This new snow left the venue in pristine condition for both the men’s and woman’s qualifying runs, held yesterday and today. I felt good on my qualifying run, and i skied a fun line, but the cut was deep and the judges only took the top 20 athletes to compete in the semi-finals tomorrow. Although I would have liked to see at least one of us make it all three mens Telemark athletes were cut, but Big props to Jake Sakson and Rory Camm for sending it today!!! I would also like to congratulate fellow Sun Valley skier Collin Collins for killing is in his first run! Snow is still on the radar so im “revel-stoked” to go get some pow in the morning!!!

I also got the cover shot for the Freeskiing World Tour’s Website for today!!!

check out the video from today!!!

REVELSTOKE 2011: Mens Highlights from Qualifying from Subaru Freeskiing World Tour on Vimeo.

I haven’t uploaded a video in basically forever so, in celebration for Telemark Skier Magazine’s: “Hippies Punx & Misfits” playing tonight in my hometown, here is some footage from my trip to Alaska…

Shot with a GoPro HD Hero, click the link and get yours today!!!

“Josh Madsen delves into where telemark skiing began in his follow up to “The Freeheel Life.” Taking you back to what dropping knees looked like in Morgedal, Norway in the 1860s to when it reemerged in the United States in the early 1970s. The scenery and skiing range from some of the first American telemark skiers, like Tom Carter and Doug Robinson, to their modern day protégés like Weston Deutschlander and Ty Dayberry. Get ready to sit back and enjoy some of today’s most progressive moves on freeheel gear, both on and off-piste. It is a journey through the lives of some of the sport’s Hippies, Punx, & Misfits that you won’t want to miss.

Shot on location in Norway, Utah, Alaska & California

Starring: Weston Deutschlander, Shaun Raskin, Ty Dayberry, Zeph Hallowell, Conor Davis, JT Robinson, Candy Froerer, Dan Ruppel, Josh Madsen, Cody Smith, and Alex Paul” -Telemark Skier Magazine

“The Freeheel Life 2: Hippies Punx & Misfits” Official Trailer from Telemark Skier Magazine on Vimeo.

My good friend and fellow telemark skier, Kjell Ellefson, put out a self edit last night. He was out of commission last season due an injury, but I think it’s safe to say that he was back this year charging harder than ever! Personally, I think that he is one of the most talented and progressive telemark skiers out there today. Please watch the video below to see what I’m talking about:

Kjell Ellefson Self Edit 09-10 from Kjell Ellefson on Vimeo.

Yesterday was the last day of the Telepalooza World Comp. After hiking the Headwall four times in order to compete in both Alpine and Telemark I made it into both Super Finals!!! In the Telemark Super Final I pioneered a gnarly line, billy goating down a narrow 65° rocky face named the “Headstone.” From the Headstone i dropped into a chute, and then skied back into exposure as i hit a few features on the spine on the left side of the chute. I continued to down into the skirt making fast tele-turns through the sluff/avalanche debris fields. I stomped the telemark super final run, but a bobble/hipcheck from the day before kept me from reaching the top spot, I ended up in 6th place.

The Alpine super final didn’t go as smoothly, I skied the same line down the Headstone (it had considerably less snow the second time) all was well as I made my way to hit the other, higher scoring, spine on the right hand side. However, after I aired a small feature near the top, my skies loaded up, threw me, and I got high-sided. I rag-dolled over rocks and down the steep face, and I was finally able to use my pole to self-arrest after having it break three times on previous attempts. I saw blood pouring from my face and I immediately waved for help. Thanks to my helmet, spine-guard and mouth-guard  I only ended up with a broken pair of goggles, a broken pole, a broken nose, a few cuts on my face, and a black eye… I did however, win the “Tough Guy Award” for both hiking up the head-wall a total of six times, and getting my self together and skiing down after my crash. I’m going to take a day off, but I might be up for night skiing later…

Also make sure you SUBSCRIBE to my feed to get all the new updates!

I’m exhausted from today so I’m quoting Brooke…

“Everyone killed it today on the headwall at Alyeska Resort! Huge kudos go out to star telemark athletes: Paul Kimbrough, Jake Sakson and Conor Davis who hiked the Headwall (A HUGE STEEP FACE) FOUR times to compete in two runs tele and two runs alpine (on tele gear) and all three are advancing to the super-finals tomorrow in both disciplines! Way to represent for our sport!” -Brooke Edwards

Also make sure you SUBSCRIBE to my feed to get all the new updates!

I just got done with the 14th annual Extreme Freeskiing Telemark Championships in Crested Butte, CO. The comp went really well I qualified in 3^rd place on Headwall, and after three runs on Sock-it-to-me/Little-Hourglass I jumped from 3^rd to 2^nd to 5^th.  Although I would have liked to stay in the top three, I’m perfectly content with a 5^th place finish at nationals (still in the $$$ too)! Tomorrow morning I’m driving over to Salt Lake to catch the awards for my fix-heeled friends at the FWT world champ awards, stash my car, and then catch a plane up to Alaska!

Check Out Telemark Skier’s Video for the CB comp:

Day 1 Highlights US Telemark Extremes 2010 from Telemark Skier Magazine on Vimeo.

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I’ve been having so much fun traveling and skiing, that I haven’t found the time or motivation to sit down and write. However, after driving through countless snow caused accidents on the California highway, and then having to entertaining myself in the Nevada hell-hole that is I-80, I’m taking a day off.

I can’t believe that this season is but a few months from coming to an end, and that the first comp in Revelstoke, BC was almost two months ago. Now over halfway through the comp season, the 2010 Telemark Big Mountain/Freeride Comp in Alpine Meadows, California is also already over. This last comp went smoothly even though the weather and snow conditions didn’t feel like cooperating. I did however, have a major break threw, in that I was finally able to stay on my feet, and not get lost for at least one comp run! Even though a hip-check/slide would put me into the 8th spot, I feel that my falling/getting lost streak is finally over! Hopefully I can finally “have one” at the next stop in Kirkwood and show those alpine skiers that a guy on tele-boards can SKI. With three comps down and three more to go, there is still a lot of skiing to be had.

Also make sure you SUBSCRIBE to my feed to get all the new updates!

Josh Madsen from Telemark Skier Magazine also did a fantastic job covering the comp:
(if the video doesn’t open in a player click the transparent “facebook” I cant figure out why some videos load and some don’t)

I found out that I’m on the poster for the Alpine Meadows Telemark and Freeride Festival! I’m so stoked, and I can’t wait to shred up Alpine Meadows this February!

I’m in the best mood EVER!!! Want to know why? …Because today was the first day of my 09-10 ski season. It felt so good to finally get reacquainted with the snow, and I am so happy to be sliding down mountains again. I forgot that I would have to get used to my equipment again, but after a few runs i was quickly charging ahead at full speed. After skiing today, I have a feeling that the rest of this season is going to be truly epic!

With the skiing dreams really showing up in the last few months I have been so anxious to ski that I was thinking about driving all the way to the Breanu Sand Dunes to go sand skiing. When I awoke this morning to find snow pouring out of the clouds, I could hardly contain my excitement. I ran around the house waking up everyone, making sure that I wasn’t dreaming. After running outside and throwing some snowballs for Bailey, my dog, I went onto the Sun Valley website to check out the real time status of the snow on the mountain cams and the snow depth indicator read 9in! Update: it now reads 12inches one hour later

I hope that this fresh blanket is a tell tale sign of a big winter to come. I have a bet with some friends going on about how many inches we’re going to get here in Sun Valley. How many inches do you think we are going to get here in Sun Valley? Leave a comment on this post, and if you’re the closest at the end of the year you will win the prize!

This is also the first snow the New Gondola has experienced

Hey guys, it sounds like AK isn’t going to Happen for me flights are backed up form 3 days of cancellations and i cant get up there in time for Telepalooza, if your in my same boat i have a proposal for you…

there is a Tele-race this weekend in Sun Valley (april 4th), its a fun DRESS-UP day, dual GS “race,” tandem Challenge(two people on one pair of teleskis), telemark Parade, BBQ… the works!!!

my mom has offered her house for a place to crash to anyone who wants to drive on over to SV and make the best out of a crappy situation… its not Telepalooza but its still a great time! give me a shout 208-721-8084

Two weeks, two comps, and 3000 miles later, I’m finically back home in Sun Valley, Idaho. It all started with the Subaru U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships in Crested Butte, Colorado. In typical ski bum style, North Parker, Bryce Newcomb, and I all mobbed over to the Comp in my mothers Big Blue Van. We were greeted with a much need blanked of fresh snow, followed by an amazing blue bird sunny weekend. With these ideal conditions I had the most fun I’ve ever had at Crested Butte. North kept his Jr. title for the second year in a row, and Bryce and I both fell which caused us to place further back than what we wanted(I ended up in 36th). I also skied the most burly line I think I have ever skies and aired a 50-footer at the bottom of the Dead End Chute. I got to meet lots of the alpine athletes and make friends outside of the SV-Possy. Then we were on the road again headed back to Sun Valley. After I dropped Bryce and North off, I only had time to Unpack, do laundry, Repack and get some food, before I was on the road again headed to California for the first extreme Telemark comp at Alpine Meadows.

The Alpine Comp was another great competition, and it felt good to be back in the company of so many rippin’ Telemark Skiers. The First day I skied well but I had an unfortunate bobble upon landing the bottom cliff out of the “Key Hole,” but I redeemed my self second run, with the highest total run score for the whole comp, which put me into 3rd place, right behind Jake Sakson, and JT Robinson. The next day in the Finals I was hoping to bypass JT and Jake by skiing the “money-line” faster and better than I had done the day before. I ended up being too aggressive and I lost my balance as I dropped into the keyhole and I fell in the “NO-FALL Zone.” Obviously my scores suffered, but I with the great run the day before, I was able to pull off a 8th place finish.

Now it feel like have time to breath, but im back to training, Crested Butte is coming up in a few weeks…
Click here to see my Videos

The Canadian Open Freeskiing Championships at Red Mountain Resort was my first big mountain competition of this season. In training I fell and when I self arrested I injured my wrist. I decided to take a more conservative line than I initially planned because I didn’t want to hurt my wrist any further and because the crash rattled me and shook me up a little. The event went well although I missed the cut to the finals by 0.8points! Even though I was cut, I feel good about the line I decided to ski and I stomped it. Also I feel that it is worth mentioning that this was an alpine skiing event and I beat over half the field on telemark equipment, and I’m happy about that… Hopefully I can heal up my wrist and come back strong and do well in my next comp at Crested Butte.