The man, the legend, Chris Bertish just completed the first ever solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on a Standup Paddle Board!
He was paddling to raise money and awareness for underprivileged children in South Africa, a truly worth cause. To learn more about the voyage, or to donate, see: http://www.thesupcrossing.com/
70 mph winds pummel a ski lift, stranding terrified users.
A freak windstorm at Prato Nevoso ski resort in northern Italy battered a two-person chairlift on Monday. Officials were caught off-guard leaving skiers and riders stranded to tough out the gusts.
Gusts of up to 75 mph derailed the tow cable of the Red chairlift, leaving 130 skiers on the lift, according to Yahoo News UK. The gusts sent empty chairs swinging violently as seen in the video footage above.
Mountain rescue teams were dispatched and when conditions calmed down rescuers began lowering the stranded skiers safely to the ground. Thankfully, no one was injured.
To learn more about GorillaSafe please visit: GogorillaSafe.com
The wide world of surfboards, what you want to buy as your first board, and what to progress on.
So, you’ve been bit by the surf bug.
We’re sorry, there is no cure, you’re doomed.
Lifelong symptomatic treatment for salt in the veins and a unquenchable yearning for empty lineups and endless sets is the only option, and it isn’t covered by insurance.
Jokes, we’ll stop now. You’ve started surfing and love it. Maybe you’ve taken some lessons, gone to a camp, or simply borrowed an old beater from a friend and paddled out. Cool, real cool. Your next step in feeding this addiction is to invest in your own shred stick, that’s what the kids are calling them, right? Gnarly.
The golden rule for buying a surfboard is buy within your skill level. It’s very, very, very unlikely that you’ll ‘grow’ into your surfboard. You can’t progress if you can’t catch a wave.The golden rule for buying a surfboard is buy within your skill level. It’s very, very, very unlikely that you’ll ‘grow’ into your surfboard. You can’t progress if you can’t catch a wave.
Yup, we just repeated ourselves, in bold no less.
THE GOLDEN RULE FOR BUYING A SURFBOARD IS BUY WITHIN YOUR SKILL LEVEL. IT’S VERY, VERY, VERY UNLIKELY THAT YOU’LL ‘GROW’ INTO YOUR SURFBOARD. YOU CAN’T PROGRESS IF YOU CAN’T CATCH A WAVE.
Yeah a third time. All caps, and bold. We ain’t playin’. When you’re ready to progress, then buy something you’ll be able to surf, but not necessarily rip on.
The two most important factors when choosing your first surfboard are your weight and your surfing ability. Unless you’re an exceptional surfer, the heavier you are the larger the board you’ll need and the less experienced you are the larger the board you’ll need. Surfboards are broken down into six common categories with a couple of extra outliers that really only apply if you’re an expert surfer. These categories are named after a general size and shape which corresponds with the type of surfboard. Within these categories are limitless combinations of volumes and shape details. The base categories for surfboards are: Malibus/longboards, mini mals/fun boards, eggs, hybrids, fish, and shortboards. Guns and tow-boards are two additional surfboard categories, but are reserved for surfing huge waves by expert surfers, so they’re not a consideration for the majority of surfers out there.
Malibus, mini mals, and eggs are all generally going to be larger and of higher volume, while Hybrids, Fish, and shortboards are generally going to be shorter and of less volume, this doesn’t apply 100% of the time, but as a hard and fast rule, it works.
Longboards/Malibus (9-12 feet)
Longboards are just that, long. They have rounded blunt noses with a rounded tail, and they typically sport a single fin but can also have a thruster set-up (three fins, two smaller ones in front of a large one in the back). They are wide and have a uniform width throughout, and a slight taper in the tail. Longboards are the Cadillacs of the surfboard world, large and comfy, but they don’t exactly turn on a dime. They are a good option for beginners, and great in small, slow surf, however their large size makes them difficult to handle in and out of the water.
Mini-mals/Funboards (7-9 feet)
A mini mal or funboard is a great place to start when purchasing your first surfboard. Essentially they are smalled-down longboards. Typically set up in a thruster fin setup and being perhaps a little bit wider than a longboard they provide excellent buoyancy and stability. Their large size also makes them a breeze to paddle into waves and pop-up on, while staying under the large proportions of true longboards allows mini mals to be far less cumbersome in and around the water. Their smaller dimensions also makes turning on waves easier and more fun.
Eggs (6-8.5 feet)
Eggs are stubby, rounded, and shrunk down minimals or funboards. Not recommended for beginner surfers, however they are great for intermediate through expert surfers in smaller mushy surf and are all about having fun and catching lots of waves. While not ideal, larger eggs are manageable for beginner surfers due to their width and volume and allow room for progression.
Hybrids (5-7 feet)
Hybrids are designed to be one board quivers, meaning they’re going to be surfable and fun in a variety of conditions. Having said that, while some hybrids feature shapes similar to eggs and minimals, they are not intended for the beginner surfer.
SHORTBOARD (5.5-7 feet)
Shortboards are generally going to be the smallest boards out there and are reserved for expert surfers who can shred with their eyes closed. The small size and volume of shortboards allows excellent mobility for tricks and sharp turns, however you have to be a good surfer to catch and stay up on waves. Shortboards look rad, and are what all the pros are riding in everyday surf, but don’t be tempted to step up to a shortboard until you’re absolutely bulletproof on larger boards.
FISH (under 7 feet)
A fish surfboard is generally a short, wider, stumpy, board which is designed to surf and have fun in less than desirable conditions. Fishes do come in larger lengths and can be suitable for the beginner/intermediate surfer however if they do not have enough volume they can still be a challenge to surf. As always volume plays a big role in how easy it will be to catch and surf waves with a fish. Fish boards usually have the swallow tail, and are often twin-finned which allows for more slide and more fun for good surfers on small days. Fishes are great boards to progress on. They still generally maintain a lot of volume, while giving intermediate surfers a taste of what a shortboard feels like.
Well there you go! A foray into the wide world of surfboards! If you have a favorite board, we’d love to hear from you! Hit us up in the comment section!
Mahalo and aloha!
And as always if you’d like to learn more about what GorillaSafe is all about, check out our website at: GogorillaSafe.com
Mammoth Mountain will be open through to the 4th of July
It’s been a phenomenal snow year for Western North America, with multiple mountains having to suspend operations due to too much snow!
Mammoth Mountain of California has no shortage of the white stuff this season thanks to record-breaking snowfall, including more snow in January than any month on record at the resort. Sitting at a 340-inch (8.6 meters!) base at the top of the mountain, and 178 inches (4.5 meters) at Main Lodge, the resort operators have announced that the mountain will be open through the 4th of July!
And with epic conditions right now, Spring skiing and riding at Mammoth is looking to be epic! Mammoth currently holds the largest base depth of any resort in America by 90 inches.
And to sweeten the deal, if you skied or rode the last week in January Mammoth will give you a free lift ticket for July 4th! Woo! MURICA!
To learn more about GorillaSafe please visit: GoGorillaSafe.com
The world’s best kitesurfers took to the sky in Big Bay, South Africa to see who would be crowned King of the Air, 2017
The world’s best riders took to Big Bay, Cape Town, South Africa these past two weeks, waiting for perfect wind and wave conditions to compete for a shot at being crowned RedBull’s King of the Air, 2017. The emphasis of the competition is going huge in head to head heats.
Fans came out to show their support for Lasse ‘Sky’ Walker of the Netherlands who last year at the same event unfortunately suffered an epic crash in the last seconds of his heat. After performing a spectacularly huge mega loop, Lasse was slammed into the water and had to be removed by emergency personal.
Fully recovered for 2017 lasse won his first heat against Graham Howes and Williem Van De Meij, however would lose to Aaron Hadlow in the fifth round. Hadlow would go on to second overall.
Click here to see full results from the Redbull King of the Air 2017
To learn more about GorillaSafe please visit: GoGorillaSafe.com
A rundown on everything skis in 2017
My dad is a good skier. He loves skiing, has all his life, and in those 120-odd years of skiing, the tools of the trade have changed quite a bit.
I remember learning how to ski, and it sucked. I started on bulletproof ice in Norway of all places, did a few years in the alps, and then discovered snowboarding and that I was a lot happier on one piece of wood between my feet.
Fast forward 20 years, and the completely straight toothpicks that I learned to ski on have gone the way of the laser disc, replaced with much more forgiving and fun, shaped skis. The rise in the popularity of skiing has pushed ski technology and innovation to where it is today. As a first time buyer of a pair of skis, walking into a ski shop can seem bewildering and expensive. Actually that second part never changes… it’s always going to seem expensive, because it is, it’s a wicked expensive sport. Anyway, here is a simple rundown of what is going on in the world of skis today.
Skis can be broken down into four main categories, race, on piste, all-mountain, and powder. Ski categories can get a lot more in-depth and application specific, but for now, let’s keep is simple.
Race Skis are designed to do just that. Race on hardpacked, groomed terrain and do it as quickly as possible. Race skis are going to be the longest ski in your quiver. They are also going to have less shape to them than a lot of other types of skis and will likely feature a square rear tip. Race skis are not what you want to be starting off on. They’re less forgiving than many other types of skis due to less shape through the middle and generally being longer. Check out Volkl’s awesome Racetiger line of skis. The Racetiger line is a little wider than a lot of other race skis, leading to a smoother, more forgiving ski at high speeds.
On Piest skis are designed for all levels of skiers, from beginner to expert, and are built to work well on smooth groomed terrain through to light powder and harder ice. They are wider at the front and back of the ski and will often feature a rounded square tail. This shape allows the ski to turn easily and hold the edge through a turn. The Natural Instinct from Head combines a 20% rocker, that’s the curve at the tips of the skis and 80% camber, that’s the curve through the middle of the ski. Here’s a good explanation of camber and rocker. Basically the combination of 20% 80% means that the ski will perform well in a variety of snow conditions and turn easily.
All-mountain skis are designed to be workhorses for good-intermediate through expert skiers. If you are going to be shredding groomers, ducking under the ropes for some out of bounds powder, and then hitting the terrain park for a couple laps all in the same day then these are the skis for you. Designed to be a one-ski quiver All Mountain skis are twin tipped, and are generally a wider ski. We recommend the Enforcer from Nordica. It’s 100mm wide to give you some lift in deeper snow, but has a low rocker profile to maintain full contact in icy conditions.
Powder skis are for those days when you’re going to be floating down fresh, amazing, wonderful, nothing better on the planet powder. They’re big, they’re bulky, they’re probably going to be pretty straight from tip to tail. It’s their width which allows them to float up and over deep powder and give you that cushy floating feeling that’s hard to describe if you’ve never experienced it before… we imagine it’s what it’s like to be on heroin, although we’re not sure. We do know it’s addictive though. Realistically, powder skis are restricted to very good intermediates, through expert skiers. They’re going to be round at tip and tail and will kind of look like water skis. The Friend by J Skis is a bit more of a forgiving option by powder ski standards. It features a little bit more shape to it, which gives it less of a ornery beast feel when not in deep powder. They also are limited to 100 units per design, so you know you’re riding what a good friend should be; special.
We know that’s a lot of information. Why can’t I just walk into a ski store and tell a sales person what I want, and have them give me something that is perfect for me? Well the thing is, ski stores can be hit and miss, and even the best employee is guessing at what might work for you, from what they have skied and what they have in stock. There is another option though, you can custom order skis. This used to be a very time consuming and expensive process, enter Parlor Skis. Parlor Skis have developed a simple four-step system to allow any level of skier to get custom skis made. All you have to do is answer a series of online questions that measure your height and weight, skiing ability, and the terrain you typically ski on and the terrain they want to ski on, and presto they build you a 100% custom, just for you ski.
While we haven’t had customs skis made, everything that Parlor stands for makes sense. Be sure to check them out if you’re in the market for a new pair of skis.
And if you’re anywhere near Japan this ski season check out how you can get free ski passes at 22 awesome resorts.
And as always, please take a minute to check out our website if you so desire: GogorillaSafe.com
Put in some work when you’re not in the water, you’ll thank us later
We love to surf. No, WE LOVE TO SURF! The thing is, we can’t get in the water nearly as much as we’d like to. And truth be told, when we do get out for a surf, it’s probably after a long hiatus and we can’t help but notice that people are paddling back out a whole lot faster than us. Is that the ocean we taste on our lips? Or is that the salt of our sullen tears as we see people peeling off on waves that could be ours? If only we were in a little better shape.
The good news is that you stay surf fit sans waves. In fact some of the best exercises for surf training require little to no equipment.
Paddle, paddle, paddle. Look, we know it might seem silly, but if you have access to a body of swimmable water, and you won’t get kicked out of that water if you’re on a surfboard, then get in there and paddle. Your paddle fitness is the most important thing to increase the enjoyment of your next surf trip. Paddling for surfing requires both strength and endurance. It’s important to build both. To focus on power, try paddling on surfboard and take 6 strong strokes with each arm. Commit your whole body to a deep, powerful stroke, determined to make an imaginary wave on that 12th stroke. Experiment with more open fingers, researchers have proved that the optimal width between fingers is 20 to 40 percent. When paddling for power, make extra sure that your non-stroking hand isn’t causing unnecessary drag. After your have done six strokes with each arm, take a rest period with 10 easy strokes each side, this is one set. Do this without rest for 5 sets. Consider getting a prone paddle board or a standup paddle board. Both are fun ways to build endurance, shoulder, bicep and tricep, and core strength.
Swim. If you can’t get out for a paddle, get in the water and swim. In fact, swim as well! Swimming is one of most physically beneficial exercises which is low impact on joints and ligaments. It also helps train you physically and mentally for staying calm while not being able to breath as you normally would. A good entry level swim workout for surf would be:
– 200 meter slow, easy warm-up freestyle
– 100 meter pull, freestyle arms with a kick bouy in-between your legs if you have one, if not just don’t kick. Again focus on powerful strokes, hands cupped, but not tightly clenched with space between your fingers
– 100 meter freestyle
– 100 meter pull, freestyle with kick bouy
– 100 meter freestyle
– 200 meter cool-down
Ramp up the distances as your strength and endurance increases, and throw in swimming distances underwater to build confidence and lung capacity.
Cross training/Circuit training. Surfing is a whole body workout. So if you’re going to train for surf, you’d better train everything. One of the best ways to get both a cardio and strength workout is to circuit or cross train. Circuit or cross training incorporates multiple exercises in succession which strategically work different muscle groups, giving you a whole body workout.
An example circuit for surf training would be:
–Bear crawl 10 meters
–Do 10 tuck squat jumps
–Do 12 pushups
–Hold a one minute low plank on your forearms
–Up into a 45 second wall sit
Rest for two minutes and repeat the whole thing two more times. Mix it up, and sequence in high impact exercises which don’t work the same muscles back to back. There are plenty of bootcamp/circuit training groups which help make staying in surf shape fun and social. Check out November Project, a free circuit training group which has ‘tribes’ in many major cities globally.
A good resource for surf specific exercises can be found at Surfer Today’s website.
Yoga. We’re not huge into yoga. There, we said it. But we have done it, and we know it gets us into and hold positions that aren’t real comfortable but definitely work muscles we otherwise wouldn’t. Also, yoga is great for balance and flexibility, or something… I don’t know, we heard that. Yeah, so, yoga is totally great for helping you stay surf fit. We don’t know much about yoga, but watch this, it seemed pretty good when we googled yoga for surfers:
Seriously though, yoga is great for developing and maintaining core strength, flexibility, and body awareness, all hugely beneficial for moving in and on the water.
For more out of water surf fitness tips, training ideas and inspiration check out Elise Carver on Instagram (@littlebantamsurftrainer).
To learn more about GorillaSafe please visit GoGorillaSafe.com
Firewire puts an even more eco-friendly spin on the Almond Butter
It’s super cool to see one of the biggest names in the surfboard manufacturing game taking another step in the right direction towards reducing the ecological impact of surfboard manufacturing.
Presented at the ISPO show in Munich by Firewire, this experimental version of the Almond Butter, designed by the mythical creature that is Rob Machado, was built using pieces scrap paulownia wood. The use of scrap wood is responsible for the very cool looking patch work finish on the board. We think it looks rad! As well as using scrap wood, paulownia trees are extremely fast growing, as much as 20 feet in a year. They can be harvested in as little as five years, and can regrow from harvested roots, making them a more eco-friendly wood option. In addition Firewire used a 20% recycled EPS core, 25% less fiberglass, 20% recycled material Futures fin boxes and leash plug, and coated it with Re-Res, a recyclable epxoy resin.
While far from a perfect solution we applaud Firewire for taking steps in the right direction!
And in case you want to hear the man himself, and those sparkly eyes and pearly whites muse about the Almond Butter, and how he rode one into the biggest wave of the day at a Teahupoo session, here you go:
If you want to read about some super sweet, zero waste and super eco-friendly snowboards check this out: Zero Waste Snowboards
And, as always, if you want to learn more about GorillaSafe please check out: GoGorillaSafe.com
We select the best affordable food options in the world’s best ski and snowboard destinations
Whether you ski or ride, a day on the mountain works up a killer appetite. And it’s not a normal 9-5 appetite, it’s a craving for substantial, delicious, and hearty. You’ve worked (played) hard and you deserve some solid fuel to get those energy levels up to shred some more gnar the next day. We’ve rounded up some of the best food in six of the best ski towns in the world. To meet our stringent criteria for great mountain food, we’ve selected restaurants based on how satisfied your mountain hunger will be and not having to sell an arm and a leg to dine there, lift tickets are expensive enough, right? Unless you cop free lift tickets at any of these 22 resorts in Japan.
Here is our listing of the best ski town food around the globe:
Whistler Blackcomb needs no introduction. The granddaddy of ski resorts, consistently rated the best, if not one of the best ski and snowboard resorts in the world.
A huge amount of terrain means there is something for every skier and boarder out there, and just about every cuisine under the sun. There is no end of fine dining in Whistler Village, and no end to the amount of money you can spend on said fine dining. From the incredible meat and seafood at Rim Rock Cafe, to hearty fare at Red Door Bistro, and fine dining at the classic Araxi. All phenomenal dining experiences with price tags to match. However, the aforementioned are a little too pricy to make this list. Our pick for the best Mountain food in Whistler is Splitz Grill. Their tagline says it all: “CASUAL PLACE – SERIOUS BURGERS” all caps too, so you know they’re not messing around.
Check it out:
Pro tip: A little bit of Splitz sauce on your burger is indulgent but necessary, and compliments the burger perfectly. Breaded, fried dill pickles are a serious must order at Splitz.
Vail Colorado is another granddaddy of the North American ski and snowboard scene. With more than 5,200 acres of inbound ski and snowboard terrain, seven miles of backcountry bowls, and the most groomed terrain on the planet, not to mention legendary Colorado Champagne powder, Vail is a force to be reckoned with.
Like Whistler, there is no shortage of high-end restaurants to satiate that Rocky Mountain hunger rumbling in your belly. Sweet Basil offers fine French inspired American dining. Excellent seafood and American fare can be found at La Tour and seasonal, locally sourced haut cuisine is the mainstay of Terra Bistro. But our pick for the best Mountain food in Vail takes it’s name from the mountains it can be found driving around in: Rocky Mountain Taco. This mobile cantina can be found at different locations around Vail based on the what’s poppin’ at what time. Their on-point social media game (@rockymountaintaco) is the best way to find them.
The brainchild of Jose Reza, Chris Mc Ginnis, and Dan Purtell, they serve up delicious, affordable tacos, quesadillas, burritos and tortas (think Mexican sandwich) made fresh from quality ingredients.
Jackson Hole is big country and big skiing and riding. Steep and deep is the way the locals like JH shredding, and with copious amounts of dry powder and the newly opened Sweetwater gondola there is no shortage of amazing terrain to get your stoke on.
With stoke comes hunger! Jackson Hole fine dining options include the delightfully cute Blue Lion, serving up hearty and healthy dishes. Fantastic wine and delicious Italian fare with a modern twist can be found at Bin 22, and Persephone Bakery servers up phenomenal, honest rustic French food. However with its cozy historic Main Street location and home-cooked food with a Southern accent, Cafe Genevieve is where we’d go to power our next JH runs.
Niseko is what powder dreams are made of. There are few places that get huge amounts of perfect, dry powder that Niseko sees consistently every season. Combine that with amazing backcountry terrain and the old school charm of skiing and riding in Japan and Niseko is a powderhound’s dry dream.
Japan is a land of fine dining. You could walk into a 7-11 and find something that is actually food and genuinely delicious. But after a day of waist-deep powder, we crave something a little more satisfying than convenience store fodder. Wine and Dine Rakuda and Karabina are two excellent izakaya style restaurants. Izakayas are small Japanese pub type establishments, usually small and intimate, which serve up hearty small dishes meant to be eaten with beer or Japanese highballs. Izakayas are awesome social experiences not to be missed while in Japan. But if we had one meal in Niseko we’d head to Bang Bang Restaurant. We’re guessing Pew Pew Pew was taken, or it’s named after how much flavor their food punches. Bang Bang Restaurant serves Yakitori, or Japanese grilled skewers and meats. Bang Bang also serves delicious fresh sashimi.
Saas Fee, Switzerland is the jewel of the European Alps, and is renowned for having both amazing Winter and Spring skiing and riding thanks to the large glacier sitting at its top. Big open bowls and bluebird days are what Saas Fee is all about and represents that picture perfect town in the Alps.
Switzerland is bordered by five European countries each of which has distinct cuisines, and all of which are well suited to an alpine appetite. Some of the best offerings in Saas Fee can be found at Essstube, meat heavy fine Swiss dining, Zur Muhle for Swiss comfort food such as stroganoff, rosti, and fondue, and Steakhouse Saas. But if we wanted to kick back after a long day on the mountain in Saas Fee, we’d head to Du Saas-Fee. I mean, it has Saas Fee in the name. Du Saas Fee specializes Swiss classics such as fondue and raclette (mmmmm, raclette).
With 38 lifts, 1150 meters of vertical, 2965 acres of shreddable terrain and amazing weather and snow conditions Cerro Catedral is considered one of the best mountain resorts in South America. Located only 22 km from the city of Bariloche, Cerro Catedral is a mecca for Argentineans and international ski tourists alike, serving up bluebird days and Patagonia powder.
If there is one thing that Argentina does well, it’s grill meat, specifically beef. Argentina is home to some of the world’s best steak. Grass fed and free range, Argentines take their beef seriously and La Salamandra Pulperia in Cerro Catedral does steak right. Rincon Patagonico, Butterfly, and Cassis are all great options, but La Salmandra Pulperia can’t be beat for great food and cozy home-like ambiance. Run by a husband and wife team the food is simple, but perfect in its simplicity. Empanadas, steak, and salad, all you need.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to go have a snack.
To learn more about GorillSafe please visit: GoGorillaSafe.com
A compilation of the greatest ski crashes of the last 25 years
The english language is a fickle beast. To the untrained ear, native English speakers use words completely incorrectly on a daily bases. For example, this is the baddest article every written. See, in that instance I’m using bad to mean good, because clearly this article is rad. Rad? Yeah, rad. Anyway Matchstick Productions, who have been in the business of filming the world’s best skiers for 25 years and have thrown together a completion of ski crashes that they consider to be the greatest ever. And by greatest they mean, most bone crushing, head slamming, concussion inducing, make you say owwwww out loud crashes all set to a dope sound track that makes you want to shotgun a beer. Greatest everrrrr! Enjoy:
To learn more about GorillaSafe please visit: GoGorillaSafe.com
