Temple Basin

Return Of The Mac

World Champion

Jossi WellsOlympic Champion

Adam Hall

ISSU

E #

92

2010

AN

NU

AL

$9.

95 in

cl. g

st

Byron Wells

InterviewBuyers Guide

2010

In 1996 Transworld snowboarding ran a feature article entitled ‘The nutcracker sweet’ based around the Arthur’s pass club field ‘Temple Basin’. The lasting memory from the article was the quote “If I had to stay in one area to snowboard for the rest of my life, it would be Temple Basin. Its that good!” This was a bold statement for such an illustrious and well-travelled magazine as Transworld and the reverberations felt around the snow sports world saw Temple in the limelight for the next few years. But the wave of media attention of the late 90’s soon broke and receded, and over the last decade Temple has slipped back into its low key, hard to find, backwater demeanour.

I have had a few trips to Temple over the last ten years and each time I’ve been reluctant to leave, knowing I’ve only scraped the surface of its massive expanse. Every time I have skied epic lines, experienced the gut wrenching fear of being out of my comfort zone and had that serene feeling of the isolation of this magnificent mountain environment. Each time, as I’ve walked down the track towards the car, the urge to return as soon as I can has been over-powering.

Temple’s location and lack of easy access is what makes it so special. The car park sits 4km’s past Arthur’s pass village on state highway 73. Though the ski field itself is still a long way off, 45 mins up the walking track and you are at the main lodge, if you have timed it right your skis and pack have beaten you up there on the goods lift.

RETURN OF THE MAC

Words by Neil Kerr

46

Todd Windle warming up in the setting sun, with a wee bit of Temble gnar.

STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD

Interview By Hamish Acland

360 Japan in the land of the rising sun – CardronaPHOTO: CAMILLA STODDART

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DRYPNZ

50

When I think back to when I first met Byron nearly ten

years ago, he was just knee high to a grasshopper.

Funny thing is I remember him more as Jossi’s little

brother, his virtual shadow. Jossi and Byron have skied

together since they first stood on skis. Back then, Jossi

as the elder was always out front charging into jumps

with little Byron following hot on his ski tails.

Jossi, as we well know, has gone on to become a

precocious talent and superstar within the freeski

world. Byron too has started making an impression

on the freeski scene over the last couple of years

but like younger brothers the world over he is

constantly caught in Jossi’s shadow. Always

compared to his sibling and pressured by the

achievements of big brother.

In the constantly progressing world of freeskiing,

phrases like ‘Will they be the next big thing?’ are often

applied to young prodigies. It is obvious they have the

skill set and talent that will see them stand out from

their peers but the question is the same for all: Will

they break through from the ‘bubble’ and be catapulted

into the next echelon?

Reaching the upper echelon of competitive freeskiing

means invitations to the biggest events, like the

X Games, and the opportunity to compete for the

biggest prizes. The number of athletes in this top

tier has probably doubled in the last five years due to

the introduction of major events and series such as

the Dew Tour, as well as increased industry backing.

However, the number of skiers in the lower level, or

the ‘bubble’, has gone up tenfold, making it extremely

competitive. It’s a cutthroat world. Even once a skier

has broken through, there are no guarantees they will

stay there. A drop in form or an injury can see a skier

fall as quickly as they have risen.

In 2009, at the tender age of sixteen, Byron started to

break out of the bubble. Solid results of 8th and 11th in

the Dew Tour gained him an invitation to the prestigious

X Games to compete in the halfpipe alongside the best

of the best, including his big brother. He placed a very

respectable 11th and people started to take notice of

the modest, likeable Kiwi boy nicknamed ‘Lil B Wells’.

Over the years, Byron has developed a skiing style that

is truly his own. The 540 Japan first hit in the pipe that

simply oozed style two years ago has now morphed into

tricks double the height and difficulty.

As the sport evolves at a staggering pace, if you are

not part of the trick progression you will be left behind.

Today if you don’t have switch-hit (backwards take off)

tricks or double flips you won’t see a podium, nor will

you even get close.

The 2009-2010 competition season started here in New

Zealand with a springtime training camp at Cardrona.

Here Byron would start to innovate, attempting his

first double flips. To put the double flip in context, the

skier has to go as big as possible - say fifteen feet, to

gain the airtime needed, then they flip twice through

the rotation making it extremely difficult to spot the

landing. The landing is a halfpipe transition of 20 feet;

land a couple feet out of the pipe and you land on the

deck; pop too much in your trick and you land in the flat

bottom of the pipe. This is exactly what happened to Byron

whilst trying a double flip.

Bruised heels were the result and the early competition

season in the Northern Hemisphere saw a tentative

Byron Wells, nursing his way through comps instead of

his usual aggressive approach, knowing that with one flat

landing, he could be off snow again. He watched from the

sidelines during the first stops on the Winter Dew Tour, as

his peers pulled away from him. All the skills in the world

don’t matter if you are not in the right space mentally.

It’s extremely tough, especially when you are carrying a

lingering injury and confidence is low.

After missing the second stop of the Dew Tour, an email

came into camp Wells from New Zealand snowboard coach

Tom Willmot with an invitation to come to Michigan to train

with the Olympic Snowboard Team. Michigan is not known

as a hot spot for skiing but a forward-thinking Country Club

there is trying to change that and had invited snowboard

teams from around the world to come and train.

The Otsego Country Club in Gaylord, Mischigan has a mere

250 feet of vertical terrain, a couple of chairlifts and in

summer it’s a golf course. However, for the Olympic teams

it was the perfect training centre with a 22-foot halfpipe, as

well as hip with a transition mimicking the pipe but with an

airbag to land on.

It was here that Byron and his father Bruce would

implement an amazing return to form, which would be the

catalyst for the rest of his season. Over a period of four

days, Byron used the airbag to get his tricks down safely

before taking them to the halfpipe. By the time he left he

had his competition run dialed.

Next stop, X Games in Aspen and his qualification run would

see him soar above his competitors. Byron has the ability to

go BIG, his amplitude actually increasing as he goes down

the pipe, however on his last hit, disaster struck. On his

patent pending 540 bent nose grab he lost a ski on landing,

and missing the finals cut as a result.

Byron achieved a career best 7th place in the final stop of

the Dew Tour, at Mount Snow in Vermont, before heading

over to Tignes, France for the inaugural European X Games.

This new event has been set up on the same model as the

American version but with literally thousands of cheering

French ski fans, some 19,000 of them attending the

nighttime halfpipe finals.

Byron left the start gate with a sea of people below and

proceeded to tear up the pipe; switch 720 first hit, into

a flatspin 540 (pictured) leaving him towering above the

spectators below. Then a left 900 spin, to right 900 – the

exact same run he had attempted at the Aspen X Games –

but this time on his final hit he boosted his 540 nose grab

and stomped it: the perfect opening run. With a big score in

the bag he attempted to take his next two runs to another

level, chasing a medal. This included an attempted switch

1080 first hit on his last run.

That night in Tignes, Byron Wells stood out, taking 5th

place, one ahead of Jossi who came in 6th. Byron has truly

stepped out of the shadow of his talented brother, showing

the world that he more than deserves his spot in the top

echelon. Byron once said in an interview that he was simply

stoked to get an invite to his first X Games. Now it’s safe to

say that he is gunning not for invites, but for podiums.Facebook or Twitter? PHOTO: TIM PIERCE

51

JOSSI WELLS ST ANTON, AUSTRIA PHOTO: NATE ABBOTT

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

4. Atomic Cloud 9L. 144,151,158,165cm D. 121-73-106mmPerfect piste all-rounder for women. Lightweight. Boasts dynamic flex and ensures smooth skiing in all conditions.

$1299 with XTL 9 bindings

5. Atomic Cloud 6L. 142,149,156,163cm D. 115-70-97mmIdeal entry level model. Easy handling is guaranteed thanks to different Flex Zones which provide a progressively softer flex at the shovel and tail.

$899 with XTL 9 bindings

6. Dynastar Sultan 85 L. 158,165,172,178,184cm D. 126-85-110mmExcellent all terrain ski ability, On or Off Piste. Wide tip transition facilitates easy turn entry with full sidewall construction for control and stability

$1299 ski only $1849 with PX12 bindings

1. Atomic Crimson Ti L. 164,171,178,185cm D. 132-88-117mm88mm wide all mountain ski with adaptive camber construction, step down sidewall, wood core reinforced with 2 titanium layers.

$1699 with XTO 12 binding

2. Atomic Blackeye Ti L. 160,167,174,181cm D. 126-82-111mmExtremely smooth on trail yet sufficient lift in powder. Combination of wood core and titanium ensure superb stability and unrivalled performance.

$1599 with XTO 12 binding

3. Atomic Smoke L. 150,157,164,171,178cm D. 121-77-105mmPerfect introduction to the all mountain experience. Lightweight, versatile ski with optimal performance characteristics on all terrain and every type of snow.

$1299 with XTO 10 binding

7. Dynastar Sultan 80 L. 152,158,165,172,178cm D. 126-80-108mmFluid and versatile. New tip shape and side cut, gives excellent all-terrain and on-Piste ski ability. Vertical sidewalls give performance, stability and control.

$1399 with NX12 Fluid bindings

8. Dynastar Legend IdyllL. 152, 158, 165cm D. 124-78-106mmWomen’s specific tip and side cut shape for fluidity and control. Excellent edge grip from vertical sidewalls. This very popular ski has just got a whole lot better.

$1299 with Idyll fluid bindings

9. Elan Waveflex 82 Xti L. 160,168,176,184cm D. 123-82-109mmPiste, Pow, Crud or Ice. Built to tackle everything NZ can throw at you.

$1849 with bindings

10. Elan Waveflex 78 Ti L. 160,168,176,182cm D. 123-78-105mmWaveflex technology means this ski has great edge hold and easy turn initiation. The perfect all mountain ski.

$1449 with bindings

11. Elan Pure MagicL. 152,158,166cm D. 123-78-105mmLightweight, easy turning all mountain ski, for the ladies looking to ski the whole mountain. You won’t be disappointed.

$1249 with bindings

12. Elan Black MagicL. 146,152,158cm D. 119-72-100mmGreat value. Good looking, easy turning and stable. Exactly what the ladies look for in a ski, when they want an enjoyable day on the slopes.

$999

13. Fischer Watea 84L. 159,167, 176, 184cm D. 126-84-112mmLight weight, stable, and versatile, the perfect mid fat ski for the advanced adventure seeker. I-Beam technology and the perfect waist width give a mountain of options.

$1349 ski only

101

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

14. Fischer Koa 84L. 140,150,155,160cm D. 119-75-102mmCarbon I-Beam construction, vertical sidewalls, and poplar woodcore for less weight and the right flex. The notched tail for skins means they are ready to explore.

$1599 with bindings

15. Head Peak 82 FLRL. 161,172,177,183cm D. 122-82-108mmNew Flow Ride construction gives easier handling, more agility, better floatation and automatic rocker in deeper snow.

$1655 with PR 12 bindings

16. Head EveryoneL. 149,156,163cmD. 122-72-106mmOur top selling woman’s ski with proven all round performance.Lightweight Aircoat and Head Intelligence

$1299 with Lite Rail bindings

17. K2 Aftershock TiL. 167, 174, 181cm D. 130-86-114mmCamber underfoot for power, energy and edge hold with all terrain rocker up front for soft snow performance. The best of both worlds.

$1795 with MX14 bindings

18. K2 PhotonL. 163,170,177cm D. 118-74-103mmA true recreational ski that provides unmatched forgiveness and control. All Terrain Rocker equals all mountain performance.

$1249 with M2 10 bindings

19. K2 Lotta LuvL. 149,156,163cm D. 125-82-110mmAdvanced women skiers who like to explore all corners of the resort from corduroy to powder and everything in-between.

$1595 with ERS 11 bindings

20. K2 Tru LuvL. 142,149,156,163cm D. 118-74-103mmBlending forgiveness and stability makes this the ultimate tool for intermediate skiers. All Terrain Rocker provides effortless turn initiation.

$1249 with ERP 10.0 bindings

21. Salomon XW Tornado TiL. 159,166,173,180cm D. 120-78-106mmStrong expert skiers who ski mostly on piste but like to explore the mountain on the right day.

$1899 with binding

22. Salomon LadyL. 153,161,169cm D. 128-85-113mmBig mountain ski combining solid edge grip and on-piste performance with flotation for the occasional backcountry adventure.

$1399 ski only

23. Volkl AC 50L. 163,170,177,184cm D. 128-85-112mmThe legend continues, skis anything, anywhere, anyway you want. Wide ride iPT bindings enhance edge hold & smoothen the ride.

$1999 with iPT WR bindings

24. Volkl AC 30L. 156,163,170,177cm D. 124-80-107mmPerfect for groomed slopes or for all mountain adventures, wideride iPT binding makes for a smoother ride.

$1799 with iPT WR bindings

25. Volkl AuroraL. 154, 161,168cm D. 132-82-103mmUltimate woman’s ski for NZ conditions, 82 underfoot, with iPT wideride bindings for extra edge grip and smoothness .

$1999 with iPT WR bindings

26. Volkl TierraL. 147 154, 161cm D. 129-78-99mmVersatilty personified,ideal for piste yet not afraid to get off trail. Woman specific Bio-logic technolgy for easier turning.

$1699 with iPT bindings