Erin Spong
“News Flash” is FREESKIER’s online column designed to keep you up-to-date with snippets of outdoor news you need to know about. This article is published weekly on Wednesdays and updated throughout the week.
Freeride World Tour postponed the first stop
Due to low snow and a sketchy snowpack in British Columbia, the Freeride World Tour—along with the Local Organization Committee—has decided to postpone the first stop of the tour at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort to February. Originally scheduled for January 13-18, skiers will now head to Kicking Horse February 17-22, after the January 28th stop at Baqueira Beret, Spain.
Kirkwood temporarily closed multiple lifts due to flooding
The California ski area had a tough time managing the heavy snow and rainfall on December 31 and unfortunately had to close multiple lifts including Timber Creek and Chair 1 due to flooding. The resort is back open and running now but Mother Nature will always be a fickle beast.
Chris Benchetler said farewell to Dakine in favor of new partnership with Arc’teryx
Chris Benchetler is as close to synonymous with Atomic as any skier can get with a brand as 2023 marks 15 seasons with his namesake skis, but the legendary skier is shaking things up with outerwear. After years with Dakine and a multitude of pro-model products, Benchetler is spreading his wings and flocking to Arc’teryx.
Sam Kuch joined K2
In other athlete-brand news, Sam Kuch has announced that his is joining the ranks of legends over at K2. With Crazy Karl and Kuch on the same team, we’re frothing at the idea of what the two can accomplish together.
Michelle Parker dropped new ‘Care Less, Do More’ episode featuring Jim Zellers
The longest episode yet, Michelle Parker sat down with snowboarding legend and pioneer, Jim Zellers. The two talk about sliding on snow, The North Face, far-off peaks and dreams, and so much more.
Nikolai Schirmer released Wavy 2
Even though he swore he’d never get back on Sophie the sailboat, Nikolai found himself back on the boat and sailing north to Svalbard. With teammate Celeste Pomerantz in tow, the two have an epic adventure close to Santa’s home.
