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Features ALL ROADS LEAD TO | Valdez Alaska Part 2

ALL ROADS LEAD TO | Valdez Alaska Part 2

Contributed by John Centi 6/3/2009

When the hell is the weather going to clear? How many times that thought was racing through all of our heads as we sat on the sidelines, rendered helpless I can’t really give justice to in this article. For about a week straight it had been gray, gray and more gray accompanied by downtime with beer, beer and more beer. Eventually though it did break and we were waken early by our guide Gabe to get prepared for what we had come to Alaska for, a day in the heli.
Sure you can get to some amazing zones via sled but the experience of being dropped off and standing in the middle of a glacier with two huge ridges to your left and right filled with dozens of lines is something so distant from what any of us had ever experienced in snowboarding.
The first stop of the day was “The Books”; a zone that gets its name for its resemblance to a bookshelf with each writing leaning over on each other. Eachrider got a couple of lines in here before the light was getting low and we moved onto “Sluff City”. We just so happened to jump in the heli on the perfect day because it was clear until the very minute we ended our day and we wouldn’t see the sun again for a couple more days after that. Through all the years I’ve been snowboarding I’ve told myself, “I just want to be able to go heli boarding once.” After this day though, I’m scraping pennies out of my couch cushions, and looking into selling my plasma because once isn’t enough.

- Blueberry Lake staging area with a front row view of the Books.

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- The crew getting strapped and harnessed up for a epic day.

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- It was pretty rad to see Johan up in Alaska. We piggy backed with Standard for the first part of the day but Johan wasn't flown out until the afternoon so we didn't get to see him ride.

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- Always gotta be strapped out here fool.

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- Two minutes and we were in courtesy of our pilot Scott.

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- We landed in the middle of our first zone "the books" to scope where we wanted to ride first.

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- Alittle perspective shot of The books.

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- Wyatt Caldwell popped things off first with a perfect Alaskan warm up.

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- Wyatt burying some deep turns at the end of his run.

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- Elliot Levitt's first AK speed run down a small spine.

- Pick up time.

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- Kevin Jones warming up for the day.

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- KJ full speed ahead.

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- KJ Back in action it was great feeling being in the same zone and asking for advice on picking lines.

- This was one of sickest things I have ever seen. Xavier about to send a double cliff drop on his second run of the day.

- Finished er off proper. Xavier pumped on his line.

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- Xavier De Le Rue - We had the chance to sit down with him in AK for a quickInterview.

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- The crew getting picked up for drop number dos.

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- Johnny Centi choose a mellow wide open pow field to bag some wide fast turns. Jeff Curley Photo

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- Wyatt getting on a little more vertical and air time for his second line.

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- Stoked to be in AK!

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- Elliot hoisting the anchor full speed ahead.

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- Pick lines and picking the right line is no easy task. Take years of experience and trained eye to find the best safest line from the heli.

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- Views from the heli heading to our second zone. I could just fly around all day and look at these amazing mountains.

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- A view of our second zone "Sluff City" from the air.

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- A quick look from the ground while the lens men get the dump.

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- Dark Mangler holdin down the camera bags.

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- Scott dropping off the crew on top of Sluff City. Skies and light looking perfect to get a good shot.

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- Wyatt Caldwell in his element. Wyatt has an amazing talent for scoping and bagging some sick lines. We were glad to have him along on the trip. Watch out for this guy I can't wait to see what he gets into next year in AK.

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- Sluff City was no joke. Wyatt powering through a solid fracture at the end of his run.

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- You can comparie with a few photos above how fast the weather changes. Blue to Milk in a matter of mintues. Very frustrating for a photographer and filmer but sometimes you gotta drop. Wyatt's line off Sluff City.

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- Elliot wasn't leaving AK with out scaring the shit out of himself picking the gnarliest line of the zone. Let just say he did that and some.. here about to get flushed. This resulted a ripped pack and goggle lens blowing out.

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- Johnny took a similar line to Wyatt's popping off a nice little sluff nugget. Unfortuanlly he got sucked into Wyatts fracture zone having to stop, back off and radio for the safest way down. It takes learning experiences like these to further your riding and knowlodge in AK. This whole trip was an amazing learning experience for all of us.

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- Johnny realizing AK is no joke.

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- Take about one of the best jobs ever. Our guide Gabe on the clock coming down to get us.

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- Radioing for the pick up. Gabe hails from Idaho but has been guiding up here in Valdez for the past 6/7 years. He had some great stories to share from guiding Travis Rice & "Thats It Thats All" crew last year. Thanks to Gabe for a great safe day!

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- Scott coming in for pick up.

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- Zone number three "Valley of the Tusk". Due to some major avalanche activity around the area we were dropped on a lower zone resulting in some heavily sun beat snow. Still fun but after Sluff City and the HOB's meter ticking we decided to call it a day.

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