After being flawless throughout the night, PK Hunder walks away King of Style 2008 of the big air contest in Stockholm. The competition was tight, but a near perfect mark off his double cork 12 put PK clearly on top. Rounding out the Top 10 is:

King of Style 2008) PK Hunder

2) Jon Olsson

3) Phil Casabon

4) Jacob Wester

5) Simon Dumont

6) Aleksander Aurdal

7) Henrik Harlaut

8 ) Gus kenworthy

9) JF Houle

10) Ian Cosco

Jon Olsson had been recovering from a knee injury but was able to cleanly stomp a double 9 and 10. The highlights from the event are a dizzying display of athleticism and precision with a few shots of bone crushing crashes.

Also for an introspective account of the event from one of the esteemed competitors, Ian Cosco, and some clear still shots of the athletes at work click here.

The economic downturn and financial woes of the American automotive industry has General Motors, Ford and Chrysler reeling and begging Congress for an exorbitant bailout. And as the financial troubles continue without any sign of help from a hesitant Congress, the “Big Three” are forced to look at avenues to cut costs and reduce overhead.

Even the world’s most marketable athlete, Tiger Woods, couldn’t escape the impact of the deteriorating American economy. He recently came to a mutual agreement to end his nine-year relationship with General Motors on Monday.

“The real story here isn’t Tiger,” says Marc Ganis, the president of Sportscorp Ltd., a Chicago-based sports consulting firm. “It’s the auto industry. … There are a lot of parties who are going to have some difficulties finding sponsors to substitute for what the auto industry used to provide.”

And he’s right.

Jeep recently decided it would no longer sponsor Jeep 48STRAIGHT, a multi-media consumer experience—connecting participants to the outdoor lifestyle through sports, music and ‘green’ awareness.As a result, the company decided to cancel the 2008-2009 winter event series that was scheduled for Telluride, Squaw Valley and Sun Valley which was declared “the loudest show on snow”.

“What sad news for the event,” event spokesperson Al Sommers acknowledged last week. “It’s pretty much that with Jeep not being able to sponsor the event, hosting the winter season isn’t economically feasible.”

The future state of the event series has not been determined.

The winter will be missing an influential sports competition that combines sport, entertainment and community with educational tutorials on sustainability in one action packed weekend. And with the American auto industry unlikely to recover, bailout or no bailout, in the foreseeable future, will there be a formidable substitute ready to fill the holes the car makers left behind?

Immediately, no. But after the impact is realized and understood, the organizers of Jeep 48STRAIGHT and like events will organize and find a way to obtain the necessary funding through corporate sponsorships small and large. The influence and participation of diverse local small businesses will be imperative in the future success of events like 48STRAIGHT.

StepOutside is happy to announce that Whistler will open skiing season one day ahead of schedule. We previously communicated that the official opening day was Thursday, November, 27th. But, luckily, the Whistler Grooming Staff in cooperation with good ole Mother Nature have teamed together to allow opening day to move ahead of schedule to Wednesday, November, 26th.

“We’ve been blasting every snow gun on the two mountains to add to what Mother Nature has deposited in the past few weeks,” says Jodie McCutcheon, Whistler Blackcomb snowmaking manager. “Grooming staff have been working to manicure the snow to make for some great corduroy skiing and riding on opening weekend.”

Opening day at Whistler Mountain will cost CDN $55, which will provide access to Emerald Express, Big Red Express and Franz’s Chair via the Whistler Village Gondola.

Since the inception of the Winter X Games, the tradition of the competition has always focused on progression and creativity. Each year the tricks get bigger and more technical; athletes continually revolutionize the sport in which they love. And by the end of each year’s event, you have an adrenaline pumping montage that would knock out Rocky.

Winter X Games 13, to be held January 22-25, 2009 in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado will not be any different.

In the spirit of progression, Winter X Games 13 will add two new events, Women’s Skiing Slopestyle and Snowmobile Best Trick. Also for the first time at Winter X Games, snowboarders and skiers will ride a 22-foot superpipe; the same as the Olympics.

Women’s Skiing Slopestyle will feature the top eight skiers in the world competing on a variety of rails and jumps. Each skier will take two runs, and their best run will determine their final ranking. Snowmobile Best Trick will feature three athletes. Each athlete will take two jumps and will be judged by the fans in Aspen and those watching on television. The athlete who receives the most fan votes will take home the gold medal.

The progression and creativity that has dominated the past will continue throughout the weekend and into the future. The world’s greatest extreme winter sports athletes will converge and compete for bragging rights and the opportunity to go down in X Games lore (o’yeah, there is prize money too…). Defending champions and challengers will push the limits of what was previously thought possible for a chance at Winter X Gold.

Checklist for Opening Day

Boots. Check.

Poles. Check.

Skis. Check

Tuned. In work.

New Gear. Requested from Santa.

We’re fifteen short days away from opening day, November 27^th, at Whistler Blackcomb – the number 1 North American ski resort, as ranked by SKIING Magazine for the twelfth straight year. The anticipation is unreal. The excitement is out of control.

In the last week, thirty two centimeters have dropped in the alpine. It’s not a huge dump, but it’s the beginning of the 33.5 feet of annual snow. And to support Mother Nature, the Whistler Blackcomb artillery have been deployed- 269 total snow guns armed and ready as freezing temperatures approach.

But, we’ll have to wait a little longer to enjoy the unprecedented world-record breaking Peak 2 Peak gondola. This mountain revolution completely changes the experience at Whistler Blackcomb and Dave Brownie, Chief Operating Officer of Whistler Blackcomb, says it best,

Most of our guests choose to ski either Whistler or Blackcomb Mountain each day. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola will link 8,171 acres of terrain into one continuous lift system allowing skiers and riders to maximize their day by moving quickly and effortlessly across the valley to the best snow and weather in each alpine area.

We’ll have to wait until December 12^th to experience this engineering marvel. Whistler Blackcomb’s main site is full of details and all sorts of future trivia.

Teton Gravity Research(TGR) dropped a teaser for their 2008 Ski and Snowboard Film, Under the Influence, over at GrindTV. The clip features Shroder Baker, “Shro Mo,” simply floating in chest deep Pow in Jackson Hole’s backcountry.But the film promises more than just human snowplows, as described by TGR here:

This film is about the people, places and moments that define our riding. Follow the exploits of today’s top riders as they traverse the globe in search of the unique terrain and conditions that emerged from one of the deepest winters in recorded history. With UNDER THE INFLUENCE, TGR continues to rule the world of action sports cinematography, capturing the mind-blowing efforts of these athletes as never before seen. The Jackson Hole-based film crew scattered the planet as they filmed virgin spines in Alaska, cowboy park jumps at Grand Targhee, pillow popping deep in the Northwest, relentless powder in the Jackson Hole backcountry and so much more.

Movie Locations:

Jackson Hole, Haines AK, Switzerland, Romania, Eagle Pass Heli-Skiing, Pemberton BC, Utah, Montana, Grand Targhee WY, North Cascade Heli-Skiing

Starring:

Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Dylan Hood, Seth Morrison, Ian McIntosh, Erik Roner, Sammy Carlson, Jeremy Jones, Jeremy Nobis, Dana Flahr, Kye Petersen, Shroder Baker, Wiley Miller, Chris Collins, Victoria Jealouse, Dash Longe, Gigi RUf and many more…

The TGR Team has taken their movie tour all over the world and will be dropping by Neumos in Seattle, WA this Friday, November 14th. StepOutside will be in attendance for the full dose of Under the Influence. Check back for updates and comments on the movie or take a look at the schedule for a showing near you.

We’re moving rapidly closer to the winter ski/snowboard season. People all around the world are dusting off their gear in preparation for the ensuing winter storms that are bound to drop a beautiful blanket of pow over mountain escapes.

And as they do, there will undoubtedly be the need for some new gear. Whatever the need may be, it’s probably going to be overpriced and expensive. That’s the nature of our beloved industry. But a few websites out there are combating this unfortunate price epidemic by offering steeply discounted prices on outdoor gear and skiing equipment.

It’s a simple concept.

People love great value and easily accessible deals.

Welcome www.steapandcheap.com, offering core outdoor gear, and www.tramdock.com specializing in ski gear and equipment!

Each site offers one deal, one item at a time until it is sold out then it’s just a whole new deal-and repeat. The discounts are real – 50-80% off. And with each site counting down the total quantity left and the sell out rate of the current deal, you will undoubtedly become intimate with your refresh button anxiously anticipating the next steal.

The prices are criminal… but it’s about time people are rewarded for their persistence and patience.  In addition to their ridiculous discounts,  the sites provide  excellent product detail and a multitude of helpful user reviews.

In crevasses of the World Wide Web, women’s rights have been a topic of discussion on a handful of message boards recently. But, what triggered the message board chatter?

ESPN recently announced the X Games and Winter X Games will feature equal prize money for both men and women in 2009. Riders at the Winter X Games in Aspen in January will be the first to benefit.

But, it has stirred a little commotion on whether or not it’s deserved. Also, there are lingering questions whether or not ESPN would support this initiative if it were a league structure opposed to the current annual event.

In one corner, opponents of the announcement believe women are unable to perform to the same level as men. And that only when they are able to hit equally progressive tricks or compete at the same degree of difficulty should women get paid equal amounts.

Some opponents also believe that in reaction to this equal pay movement that the gender categories be eliminated and an open class formed—allowing men and women to compete against one another for one cash purse.

Supporters of the announcement believe X Game athletes are professionals independent of gender. Women work just as hard to prepare for the season as men and they deserve the same retribution to continue the progression of women’s sports.

Other questions loom as well, would ESPN adopt an equal pay structure if it were a league?

It would be easy to assume that ESPN would not since the pay structure of professional athletes normally relates to their drawing power. And statistically, women sports generally draw in smaller crowds and fewer advertisers.

Do you agree with ESPN’s decision to move to equal prize money for both men and women?

Where vertical feet and number of skiable acres rules, ski resorts all around the world are expanding and expanding rapidly. Simply, these aren’t the resorts our grandparents ripped of years past.

These are new mega-monsters with endless accessibility to miles of trails, bowls full of fluff, and glades reaching across a mountainous expanse. All for our personal enjoyment and excitement.

And with thousands of acres to conquer, there is a distinct possibility that you may simply get lost in the powdery goodness, not know which trail to tackle next, or a need to find the closest overpriced cup of hot chocolate.

Well, the team at Useful Networks has developed a new iPhone application, Snocator, which uses interactive GPS trail maps to show users exactly where they are on the mountain and surrounding lifts and trails with degree of difficulty identifiers. It also shows terrain parks and nearby lodges.

The application appears to have a lot of functionality both on and off the slopes. If you’re stuck in the office day-dreaming about your favorite winter spot, at the click of a button you can access snow reports, mountain cams and weather info. All you need is the iPhone and data signal or wifi connection to get started.

The concept seems handy and may offer some value to a day full of skiing or snowboarding. So for all you hipsters and technologically advanced iPhone users, drop a line with what you think of Snocator’s capability.

Check out the following link for participating resorts and additional info at Snocator.

Are you finally ready to add skiing or snowboarding to your repertoire of sports and activities?

Or, have you spent previous winter seasons sliding down a mountain whether it is on your face or bottom and later called it skiing or snowboarding?

Whatever, the case may be, it’s time to hook up some lessons. And what’s better than learning to ski or snowboard? Learning to do it free from a professional instructor.

For a limited time only, Vermont’s Okemo Mountain Resort is welcoming newbies to take part in a complimentary learn-to-ski or learn-to-snowboard program at no cost.

Yes, free.

Okemo’s beginner package includes a free combination lower-mountain lift ticket, a free level 1 or 2 beginner group lesson at 10 a.m. or 1:30 p.m., and free special introductory-level rental equipment (skis, boots, poles, or boots and snowboard). The Learn to Ski or Snowboard for Free program is available for ages 7 and up, at no charge every day, Monday, December 1, 2008 through Friday, December 19, 2008.

Reservations are encouraged and may be made by calling (802) 228-1600. Those without reservations may participate on a space-available basis. Program attendees should plan to arrive at the Okemo Express Rental Shop, located in the Okemo Clock Tower base area, about an hour before lesson time to allow time for program registration and equipment fitting. Although free of charge, a beginner-package ticket is required to participate and a credit card deposit is required for rental equipment.

But if lessons aren’t your thing, hop on one of the express chairs and begin exploring the mountain. There is plenty of terrain and snow for all.

Okemo Mountain Resort is a nationally recognized champion for snow quality, surface conditions and learn-to-ski programs. In its annual Top 50 Reader Resort Survey, SKI magazine named Okemo one of the top ten resorts in the East, and one of the best in North America for grooming. The popular southern Vermont resort also made the top-ten list in eight of the Reader Resort Survey’s categories: snow, grooming, lifts, service, weather, on-mountain food, family programs and terrain parks.

If you’re an adrenaline junkie and need to see some signs painted with double-diamonds and “Use Extreme Caution,” head on over to the South Face Express Quad which will bring you to the top of the Okemo Mountain Peak (elevation 3,344ft). At the top, you’ll have a number of avenues to take which will open the door to a multitude of double diamonds.

And at the end of the day, you’ve realized lessons may be in order…don’t worry, there are additional ski and snowboard instructional programs available for all abilities and ages.