Kissmark season 11-12 newsclip 8 from Embark Sports on Vimeo.

Video produced by Kissmark Snowboards featuring DYE riders Markus Malin and Illka-Eemeli Laari. Markus and Illka are focused competition snowboarders. their passion is to travel around the world, compete at the hardest events and push their limits further and further as level of pipe riding keeps developing every day. This video is a little insight of them competing at TTR world Champions in Oslo, Norway this winter.

photos by SKS

After long flights from San Diego, Salt Lake, and Munich the 3 of us met around 1 am on the 31st in the Anchorage airport.  We left Anchorage early Sunday morning on our 5 1/2 hour drive east toward Valdez.  The drive continued to build our stoke level as we started to see massive mountains poking through the clouds.  An amazing landscape kept our eyes busy as time flew by.  Near the half way point of the drive we came across the Matanuska Glacier, one of the largest most impressive glacier’s any of us have ever scene. We took some time to gaze at the ice, and attempted to drive in for a closer look, but opted out of a $20/per person charge.   A few more hours go by and we are nearing the Chugach Mountain range, monster peaks of endless terrain are basking under clear skies, and at this point in the drive there is no describing how unbelievably hyped we are.  We are stopping the car at every 20-30 minutes to get a better look at the scenery.

We passed a interesting looking guy as we climb Thompson pass, a man we have since referred to as Falcon man.  Falcon man was riding his mountain bike down the highway, snowshoes on, dog by his side, and trailer in tow, a trailer with a massive Red Tail hawk along for the cruise. Very intrigued by this guy we stopped to ask him some questions and take photos of him and his bird.  He described how his dog will sniff and flush out rabbits, while the hawk follows in the air waiting for a rabbit to run out in the open, at that time the Hawk will swoop in and kill the rabbit in reward for food from his owner.  Pretty badass.  After some more pics and a few jokes we continued the drive toward Thompson Pass.

We arrive on the summit of Thompson Pass greeted by Tailgate staff, the bluebird hustle was under way the helis are flying, snowmobiles ripping, and just about everyone in sight is smiling ear to ear.  Deciding to stretch our legs and start scouting some lines we dropped in to the beer garden and broke out the binoculars as we debated whether to boot up or not.  Remind you at this time it is around 6:30 pm.  Staring at a foot of fresh snow on a 3000+ vertical face, we simply could not resist, we have traveled a long ways to be here and this is a place every one of us has dreamt about riding for years.  7pm and plenty of light, we grabbed a snowmobile ride up to the summit of our first Alaska run.  The snowmobile ride was more like a 8 minute full throttle wheelie straight up the mountain. Hands down the most gnarly sled ride we have ever experienced.  Thanks to Jeremy and AJ from Big Mountain taxi for handling the snow machines like a boss.

On top of run, we had a perfect view of the slow fading sunset over the neighboring ridgeline.  The light was changing to that sunset golden color and we strapped in, picked our line, safe stopping zones and dropped in.  Being our first run in AK we very quickly realized that everything you look at is 5-10 times bigger and steeper than it looks.  Everything is wide open, so you can basically go as fast as you are comfortable riding.  Every run is a powder run and tracks are the last thing you are worried about.  Here there is no just cruising, you need to be on your game at all times, serious injury and death can easily be the result of a bad decision.  Our first run was insane nonetheless.

A nights rest and we were up early ready to shred another bluebird day.  We found a zone not far off the road with some insane pillow lines, rock gaps, and natural jumps.  We spent the entire day hiking around this zone, moving from spot to spot stacking photos and warming up for what is set to be an insane 13 days of riding. The snow was great and it we were beginning to realize you could spend a lifetime here and still find new terrain every day.  All was going well until Ville took a little too much speed into a gap jump we had built, he overshot the landing and took a hard knee to the face.  On impact Ville bit through his tongue about a 3/4 inch across.  That would call it a day, as it was best to get this looked at by the doctor.  Ville had a bit of pain and tough time talking, but other than that he was ok.  Ready to go out and snowboard again.

Team Rider Ville Uotila throws down BEST LINE of the event and helps team Triple Cock bring home the gold…

Check out http://onboard.mpora.com/events/team-triple-cock-win-2012-vans-wangl-tangl.html for more

info and event coverage.

DYE has created a special edition T1 goggle just for the riders, drinkers and hard chargers of Tailgate Alaska! (well, let’s be honest, anyone can win, even those too cowardly or broke to make the event).

As the main goggle sponsor of Tailgate we know conditions can be an issue, we wanted to help equip the riders for the harsh elements of the mountain, and since all our products, and especially the DYE T1 are made to take punishment from the weather gods, we thought, hey, let’s give some T1′s away for free.

1. ‘Like’ https://www.facebook.com/DyeSnow on Facebook.
2. Email us at contests@dyesnow.com with why you should win.