Starting the season off right at Whistler, by KC Deane

Hey KC Deane checking in. So the ski season in Tahoe started out a little slow though November, just riding a man mad ice patch at Boreal day after day while the PNW got pounded. I ended up getting a concussion mid-November and figured I would take some time off until after Thanksgiving.

Check out a full picture gallery of KC’s trip at PowderMag.com.

I flew to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving with the girlfriend’s parents a few days before Turkey day. While I was down experiencing the city of lights and running into Carrot top, one of my sponsor’s called me and said they need a banger photo of next years gear. I said I was at Thanksgiving and would be back the day after so , yeah no worries. Then they let me know they needed the shot in 3 days!

I was like ,”Whoa! no way, we don’t even have snow in Tahoe, the next closest place would be Whistler and thats a full days drive.” Next I didn’t have a photographer, even more important I didn’t even have a plan, its right in the middle of the holiday. First I talked to them and got an extension on the due date of the shot and bought myself some time. I new that I need at least 5 days if this was going to happen.

You can help KC send underprivileged kids to ski school by making a donation.

The next problem was finding the photographer, through many phone calls, emails, and help from a friend we found one that was into shooting and available. I talked to Grant Gunderson and formed a plan. Head to the snow, Whistler. So I hopped on my flight out of Vegas bound for Reno. I packed my bags, sled and the rest of my gear and headed out the next morning bound for Whistler. I pulled into Seattle and headed over to EVO gear to stop in and take a break from driving. I hung out there and decided to stay the night in Seattle before meeting up with Grant the next morning.

K.C. Deane Season Edit from Scott Nikkel on Vimeo.

Learn more about KC’s efforts in our Athletes With a Cause charity program here: Chasing the Endless Winter.

The following day I met Grant at his place and Bellingham. We got everything loaded and headed for the boarder. We arrived at the border only to find ourselves tied up in traffic for over an hour. And when I finally got up I got interrogated by what appeared to be some of the Supertrooper crew. After getting everything thrown at me but the rubber glove they let me pass on into Canada. Grant and I headed on to Whistler and met up with Jeff Thomas. And much thanks go to Jeffy for letting us crash at his place for our stay in Whistler. After unpacking our bags at Jeffy’s we went to grab some food. After hours of shenanigans at the Longhorn we finally made it back at the wee hours of the morning.

We woke up to find it pouring down rain out and the clouds covering Whistler/Blackcomb. I was a bit apprehensive because after 2 days of traveling I now had only 3 days left to get the shots I was supposed to get. The next task was figuring out where there was snow that hadn’t been rained on. We decided to break out the sleds and headed out to a zone just south of Whistler. Riding through rain and long stretches of rock and dirt, the day seemed doomed. However once we got almost to the zone the clouds lifted and we found sun and some fresh snow. Things were turning out better than we had expected and the decision was made to call it a day and head to Blackcomb the following day to get up to some higher zones.

We woke the next day to bluebird skies and cold temperatures. Grant, Jeffy and i met Henituk at the Blackcomb gondola and headed to the top of the mountain for a day of hiking in the BC. The first zone we get to is a mini golf zone that has a cool variety of lines to choose from. After blowing a one turn with Grant we catch up just in time to see Heny and his buddy Nate ski their lines. Grant see’s a line to the right of where they were with a small 15 foot mandatory air into a hanging snow field that is on top of huge cliff with and exit out the side. Grant and Jeffy both agree someone needs to hit that line. I’m thinking in my head, “oh yeah, someone should, being my first run of the year I probably should take it easy.”

Special thanks to Moment Skis for their support of KC and the Action Rewards volunteer program.

So whos going to ski it? “I’ll do it,” I blurt out. *Sigh* well better stomp it, so I head up and after a bit of a hike I get on top of my line and what seemed to be a 35 degree line looking at it was more like a 50 degree line with pepper in the first landing zone. So its the first run of the season, a new pair of Nighttrain’s I’ve never been on and this is what I’m skiing?!

I’m not going to lie, I was real nervous, one wrong move and I was going to tomahawk off like a hundred foot cliff. So I yell to Jeffy and Grant, I get the ok and drop in. Once I dropped in instinct took over and it was like a car wreck, fast and the next I knew it was over and I stomped my line.

The next zone we found a cliff and drop that we built a jump over. Heny first hit it with a smooth cork 7. I dropped next with just a leading tail 3. Heny’s buddy Nate rolled in switch and threw down a HUGE cab 1 double shifty and took it to the last possible bit of transition to stomp. He did manage to bloody his face but he stomped er nonetheless.

After a long day of hiking the back bowls of Blackcomb Grant unloaded the photos. And needless to say Grant didnt disappoint. He got multiple banger shots! Mission accopmlished. To check out more shots from the day of myself and Henituk check out powdermag.com. http://www.powdermag.com/media/photo/GRANT-GUNDERSON-PHOTO-GALLERY/

We went out the next day to find the snow wind buffed and variable at best. Needless to say we had another great day skiing and riding Whistler/Blackcomb.

A huge thanks to everyone at EVO gear and Moment, Jeff Thomas, Grant Gunderson and Jason Tross.