Helly Hansen

There are certain elements needed to enjoy the great sport of skiing, like snow for example. As many of us enjoy it, we are destroying that very environment at the same time, putting the future of our sport at risk. Mark Abma has taken the first step to help create awareness and bring attention to climate change.

Mark has created an environmental advocacy group to help ski resorts and skiers reduce their carbon footprint while still encouraging people to get out and enjoy the mountains. The charity, which was launched last fall, is aptly called “One Step.” Mark is leading by example by creating environmentally conscious products with his sponsors, like his new bamboo ski with Salomon, supporting the Ekolab products at Helly Hansen, working with Dakine on more environmentally friendly gloves and backpacks, and using Smith helmets and goggles made out of recycled medical plastic. But that’s just the beginning.

Mr. Abma realized that a large part of his carbon footprint is driving a big truck with a couple sleds on the back, not to mention accessing terrain with snow mobiles, snow cats and helicopters. Working with Helly Hansen, The Public Works and One Step, he installed a bio diesel converter in his garage. Mark will now get oil from local Whistler restaurants like Sushi Village, take it back to his house and make his own bio diesel fuel to run his big rig. Eventually, he hopes to take this initiative to ski resorts and encouraging restaurants to donate extra oil from their deep fryers to power the areas’ snow cats.

When asked what made Abma start his advocacy group, he explained: “I was inspired to create One Step because I love the mountains and skiing and have been noticing the effects of global climate change all around me. It’s affecting ski communities all over the world and I want to create a voice and model in which we can start to make positive changes towards sustainability and a brighter, greener future.”

During the Telus Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler, One Step held a launch party at the Blake Jorgensen Gallery. All proceeds from the evening went towards the Whistler 2020 Energy Task Force. Mr. Abma spoke to the crowd, expressing his concerns and offered some insight. “When we connect leaving the lights on to energy shortages and pollution rising, when we connect our trash to landfills and disease, and when we connect the things that we buy and use to the places they come from, we more fully understand the importance of being mindful,” he said. “Ignoring the causes and effects of what we do and how our actions impact our world will eventually come back to haunt us. When we examine issues through an environmental lens, consciousness is raised and the opportunity for change occurs.”

Mike Douglas, along with his beautiful assistant Kristi Richards, got behind the mic and auctioned off photos by Jorgensen, year-long yoga passes, Lululemon gear, Salomon’s new bamboo skis, clothing by Helly Hansen, Whistler vacation packages and some spa time.

With good friends and supporters in attendance, the kick-off event was a huge success. Look for a lot more to come from Mr. Abma and the One Step organization. For more information visit www.onestepnow.org.

With the completion a long winter refit after a circumnavigation of the globe that quite naturally took its toll on both the boat and the skipper, the maxi-trimaran Sodeb'O will be tackling a brand new record campaign across the Atlantic in 2009.  As one of Helly Hansen's international athletes Thomas Coville is testing offshore footwear and apparel making sure we develop solid performance gear.

Read more about this on Sail World: 

http://www.sail-world.com/europe/SodebO-to-tackle-new-record-campaign-across-the-Atlantic/56165

Ericsson Racing Team continued its dominance of the Volvo Ocean Race today when Torben Grael/BRA/Ericsson 4 and Magnus Olsson/SWE/Ericsson 3 finished first and second on leg six from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Boston, USA. The two Ericsson teams shared the same top two positions on the previous leg from Qingdao in China to Rio, but in that case, Ericsson 3 came out on top. Today, Ericsson 4 crossed the finish at 2105 GMT

The ninth edition of Røldal Freeride Challenge took place in Norway this weekend. HH athlete, Rebecka Eriksson was second, only 1, 9 points behind Freeride World Tour champion, Ane Enderud after Finals Day 1, but after a convincing run down the final face on day two - the victory was hers. RFC is the sister event to the first of 4 event on the Freeride World Tour next year - Rebecka has already put in her visa application for Sochi FWT 2010!!! Congratulations!

Torgrim Vole won the mens ski category  - a spectacular run - with the highest score ever given in the history of RFC - fast, solid and BIG are just a few key words!

Check out more news from this event on http://roldalfreeride.no/ 

Røldal is a small mountain village nestled between the majestic fjords and the massive Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The area is well known for its snowpack, 5 meters is normal... so this event is a great way to end the season! If you need a place to crash while your there - check out http://hordatun.no/

It’s time for the third and final winter installment of the “En Route” webisode series from Nimbus Independent.  There will be other short edits coming out this spring and more short edits coming out next fall, but this is the last major release of this season.  The plan to shoot the whole thing in Montana fell through due to injuries, weather and travel fatigue. Everyone chose to hang close to home and hit the West Coast. The crew decided split into two groups for increased efficiency.   After a few days rest from the trip to Europe, Pep, Wiegand, Andy, and newcomer Blake Nyman headed to the Mt. Baker area. Upon arrival, sunny skies and good snow greeted them. Moving quickly to avoid landing zones getting side-hilled by the ever growing sledneck population, they built a nice wedge into a steep transition. Blake and Andy went back and forth on the jump, landing numerous tricks backwards or what’s called “switch.” Pep rested his knee but still managed to have some fun on his sled.  They celebrated that evening by preparing “the best burgers ever.”   The snow turned good again the next week, prompting Andy to recruit Ike up to his home terrain of Yakima, Washington. Andy showed Ike a nice jump spot the first day. It was one of the few times Ike’s seen a sunny day with cold, deep snow in the Northwest. They took full advantage of the weather and put a few more shots in the bag, then spent the storm days doing avalanche control work with the ski patrol at Andy’s home mountain, White Pass. This led to more good shots and allowed us to ski the resort an hour before the public.   While one crew was in Washington, Chris, Eric and Wiegand hopped down to California and a well known sled zone. They had four good days of sun and deep snow before parting ways.  Chris went to Canada to film for Warren Miller, and Eric and Wiegand joined Andy and Ike in Oregon.   The last leg of our journey took place in Eastern Oregon. Everyone drove thru the night expecting to get another sunny powder day.  Unfortunately the snow was already baked, so we headed back west to check out Mt. St. Helens. To no one’s surprise the snow was baked there too!  Guess it was the first week in April, but nobody complained and still made do with great snowpack and some airsoft guns. Needless to say, the next webisode has variety. If we were to tell you everything that happened, it would take longer than watching it. So don’t forget to go to nimbusindependent.com on or after tax day, April 15, to watch “En Route - America.”

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Apr. 3, 2009) - Barely eight days have passed since Ericsson Racing Team swept Leg 5 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Now, the team is ready for the next contest of the globe-girdling race.
The Rio de Janeiro In-Port Race is scheduled for tomorrow, and Ericsson's two yachts are back in the water and ready for a tune-up. Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 will partake in today's practice race in anticipation of tomorrow's two races.
 
The first start of tomorrow's two races is scheduled for 1600 GMT (1300 local). The In-Port Race will be broadcast live on the Internet with video, audio and tracking all beginning at 1545 GMT (1245 local). Visit the official race Web site, www.VolvoOceanRace.com <http://www.volvooceanrace.com/> , for more information.
 
VOLVO OCEAN RACE LEADERBOARD
(Through Leg 5)
1. Ericsson 4, 63.5 points
2. Puma, 53
3. Telefónica Blue, 50.5
4. Ericsson 3, 43.5
5. Green Dragon, 39.5
6. Telefónica Black, 21
7. Delta Lloyd, 12
8. Team Russia, 10.5

PK finished his season with some great news and some not-so-great news.  Good news first...  PK and his Norweigen teammates took home the coveted JOSS victory!  Not-so-good-news... PK "stomped" a dub cork 10 to half-punch-front-flip and broke his neck.

Fortunately PK's viking strength kept his spinal chord uninjured and is already on the road to recovery.  After a summer of girls, card tricks, and rehab he'll be back to his terrain slaying self.

Here is the video of the trick and the crash.

You can read more about the incident, his recovery, and the rest of PK's life at:

http://www.pkhunder.com

Here's to a quick recovery!

Jessica on ESPN.com

"There's something about a girl who can beat you down the mountain with a smile on her face. Ready to be intimidated? The following six ladies are doing this on the daily in dizzying chutes, strict no-fall zones and terrifying avalanche run-outs ... and with just as much style, speed and aplomb as their male counterparts. Gentlemen, please allow us to introduce you to the Sisters of Steep."

Last week I hung out with Terje Haakonsen and Jake Blauvelt guiding them around my backyard. We had a sweet heli hookup and did a day of sledding in the snowstorm. Winter hit Whistler last this year so we've gotten a bunch of snow in the last month. We found some very cool terrain and its literally outside my backdoor. I was super stoked to check it out and ride a bunch of it after looking at it for so many years driving back and forth to Vancouver.
I have a feeling that this is the start of a bunch of new terrain I'll be riding.

Team Norway has won the Jon Olsson Super Session, arguably the biggest, undoubtably the coolest, competition in skiing.

PK Hunder and Andreas Håtveit teamed up to showcase thier skills in front of the lenses of Jon Håtveit, Filip Christensen, and Thomas Kleiven.  The event was judged on the edit and slide show of the imagery from two weeks of skiing on the most progressive features is skiing history.

Congrats guys!

Check for more updates at http://www.josupersessions.com

Contact: Christina Erb, 319-310-1415, christina@hayterpr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Helly Hansen’s Big Mountain Battle Winner from Squaw Valley take Second place at Battle in the Bowls

DELTA, B.C. (March 31, 2009) – Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle Squaw Valley USA winners gave Aspen locals a run for their money at the second-annual Helly Hansen Battle in the Bowls, scoring second place.

Local Aspen skiers Baker Boyd and Kevin Frazier took first in 3 hours and 3 minutes and Big Mountain Battle Squaw Valley’s winner, John Morrison with Aspen partner Neal Biddleman, took second in 3 hours and 4 minutes. Aspen locals John Ruger and Nathan Rolland, crossed the finish line four minutes later to take third in 3 hours and 8 minutes.

Morrison and Biddleman also grabbed first place in the fastest hike category with a time of 25 minutes and 35 seconds.

“Having a great first season with the Big Mountain Battle and then taking the winners to Aspen for the final Battle was incredible! These guys were super stoked to win this trip of a lifetime, but they also wanted to show locals they could be competitive. This just shows that they’re strong skiers no matter what mountain they’re on,” said Marc Campbell, Helly Hansen’s sports marketing specialist for North America.

The Aspen/Snowmass-based event challenged 46 two-person teams to ski an intense, big-mountain course designed by Helly Hansen’s big-mountain skier Chris Davenport. Athletes could take any route as long as they completed each listed run. Each team was tracked using FLAIK GPS, a unique tracking device that provided race officials with real-time data on each teams. For results of the Battle in the Bowls go to http://aspenhellyhansen.flaik.com

The two teams, alongside Smugglers Notch and Sun Peaks Resort’s Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle winners, competed at the Battle in Bowls on behalf of Helly Hansen.

Helly Hansen has manufactured technical outdoor apparel since 1877. Today, the brand is recognized as a global leader in technical apparel and footwear designs for a range of alpine and water sports activities. Helly Hansen products are distributed in more than 40 countries. Helly Hansen’s North American operations are based in Delta, B.C. For more information on Helly’s products, team news, or to locate a dealer, visit www.hellyhansen.com.

SHINING MOMENT
Ericsson 4 bowman Phil “Blood” Jameson best summed up the scene last Thursday at the Ericsson Pavilion at Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro, “This is probably our team’s shining moment.” It certainly couldn’t get much better. The longest leg in the history of the Volvo Ocean Race will forever be the domain of Ericsson Racing Team. The team’s two yachts completed a sweep of the points available on the 12,300-nautical mile leg when they placed first and second into Rio de Janeiro. The two yachts were also first and second at both scoring gates. The emotions began running wild Thursday morning when Ericsson 3 won the leg in 40 days and five hours. Ericsson 4 followed 12 hours later. Ericsson 3’s achievement was even more spectacular because of the circumstances surrounding its hull breach on Leg 4. And Ericsson 4’s second-place finish strengthened its overall lead in the race to more than 10 points. Read more about this at www.ericssonracingteam.com