July 9, 2009
Since the beginning of FlyLow, Greg and I have firmly believed that if you don’t ski in a prototype you cannot adequate design a good piece of “ski gear”. This raises the issue of: Where do we test ski clothing in July? 
Ideally we would hope on a plane and fly to the southern hemisphere for a design trip. However, given the size of our business it is best if we stay here in Colorado. Fortunately for us, this great state holds snow year round, you just have to know where it is. It was July 7th, 2009 and we had a mission.
Item to tested: A new Soft-Shell Hoody
Concept: We want to make a technical mid-layer/spring coat styled after a hoody sweat shirt. The thought is that the hoody neck provides a more functional fit while layering and it looks pretty damn cool.
Test: Head up to the Saint Mary’s Glacier, Colorado, early in the morning, get a good sweat going, then ski down. You see, to sweat in something and hike back down would not test an item adequately for backcountry skiing. The way gear performs when body temperature shifts 180 degrees as you strap your skis on a decent can only be tested with skis on.
Results: Success! The fabric did great. The fit was spot on. There is still a lot of work to do before we bring this one to market, but, we know what needs to be done and that is the hard part.
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Trip Reports, Uncategorized | 
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Posted by flyowdan
July 6, 2009
The snowy hills above Wanaka, NZ. Photo by Erin Thiem
Hot dogs, beer, picnic basket, fireworks? My fourth of July check list included: skis, helmets, poles, gloves. Welcome to Independence Day in New Zealand! We celebrated the 4th by dusting off the skis and braving the cold southern alps temperatures. Wanaka was dusted in a blanket of fresh snow as we headed our trusty Subaru up towards Cardrona Ski resort. NZ Snow Reports show that almost all the ski areas and club fields in New Zealand are now open. Wanna get here? Check out Air New Zealand’s matchmaking flight, “The Love Plane.” It departs October 13 from Los Angeles to Auckland, NZ, and starts with an online dating profile then includes a pre-launch matchmaking party and an overnight flight filled with food, drinks, and games to encourage you to make an, um, special in-flight connection. Roundtrip tickets starting at just $780.
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June 30, 2009
We wonder when the last season ends and the new season begins. Maybe each season starts with new ski films. If that is the case, then the new season starts today!
As seen this morning on the Match Stick Productions site:
“MSP Films presents the 2009 teaser release of “IN DEEP: the skiing experience”
For 2009, MSP Films takes an original look at the sport of skiing. All of the skiers in the film–park rat or big mountain charger–share a common bond: the overwhelming desires to ski. Each person finds stoke in his own unique way, whether it be a double cork 1260, a deep turn on a storm day or ripping a giant AK line. Skiing is an incredibly diverse sport that offers it all. With the progressive skiing and award-winning cinematography that has made MSP famous, MSP Films takes you along for the ride deep into the experience as we share the love for the greatest sport in the world. IN DEEP will feature an epic Shane McConkey tribute segment.
Featuring the Skiing of: Mark Abma, Sean Pettit, Eric Hjorleifson, Daron Rahlves, Henrik Windstedt, Chris Davenport, Bobby Brown, Colby West, TJ Schiller, Mike Douglas, Kaj Zackrisson, James Heim, Hugo Harrisson, Rory Bushfield, PK Hunder, Ingrid Backstrom, Jacob Wester, Russ Henshaw, Henrik Harlaut, Alexis Godbout, Michelle Parker, JT Holmes, Sammy Carlson, Chris Rubens and Shane McConkey.”
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Posted by flyowdan
June 29, 2009
Some people think the skiing ends in April, but not for everyone. In fact, when you live in Colorado and you fancy yourself a technical apparel designer, like I do, you find yourself skiing twelve months a year. With that being said, the mission: Ski Mt Elbert (the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains, 14,440 feet). Along with my faithful dog, Charlie the Girl Dog, we set out at 6 am from the upper South Mt Elbert Trail head. For those of you who know, this is not the most technical line, but it is a notable one, and someonee has to try out next year’s production model clothing on a big day. What made this day particularly challenging was the serious elevation gain (4000+ feet in 4 miles) and the fact that we had to carry 50 lbs packs with ski boots attached to the skis for the duration. The hike was great. The weather held out. We eventually got to skin the last quarter of the accent and were able to find some great summer corn snow.
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June 19, 2009
Last October, The Alpinist—a coffee-table quality climbing magazine based out of Jackson, Wyoming—closed its doors due to lack of funding. It was a sad day for the climbing community and the magazine industry. Then, in January, publishers of Backcountry Magazine bought The Alpinist for a mere $71,000. Click here for that story. And now, The Alpinist’s spring 2009 Issue 26 is out—a reincarnation of its former beauty, now edited by Michael Kennedy, former editor of Climbing Magazine. We’re sure glad to see it’s back. Here’s what Kennedy had to say in his editor’s letter:
“In many ways, I’ve come full circle, back to the simple pleasure of moving fluidly over steep ground. So, too, with Alpinist, I’ve returned to a world of contemplation, emerging history, artistic creation and (I hope) a few laughs. It goes without saying that Alpinist’s founders, Christian Beckwith and Marc Ewing, and the rest of their team, leave big shoes to fill. But once more—as on all dream-inducing climbs, whether on the high mountains of the past or on my own backyard cliffs—I feel at home.”
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June 18, 2009
Ski jumper Lindsey Van has announced the official results for the 2009 Goggle Tan of the Year Contest. The winner: Flylow athlete Claire Smallwood. Congratulations, Claire! Here’s what Lindsay had to say about the results:
Claire Smallwood was the clear winner of the 2009 Goggle Tan competition. No competitor came close to Smallwood’s funny looking face. More like I did not even come close to Claire. Claire looked like she had goggles on even when she did not. The bottom half of the face was very dark while the top half looked like it had not seen the sun in five months, oh wait it didn’t! The contest began in November and ended in the end of April. Claire logged 114 days this winter. Claire is an Alta hound, and skied in any conditions. She ripped up the pow, and soaked up the sun.
Claire wants to thank her sponsors PM Gear, Hot Chillys, Alta, FlyLow Gear, and SheJumps.org. “Sometimes underdogs really do come out on top. Everyone thought Lindsey was going to win and I felt the pressure to really step it up.”
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Posted by flyowdan
We’ve been listening to our pros and following the trends in the ski, snowboard, and surf industries. And we can’t deny it anymore: Bright colors are here to stay. And Flylow is on board, finally. We recently received production samples of our first yellow Higgins Coat, which hits stores this fall. It features waterproof breathable soft shell fabric, a hood the fits perfect over a helmet and when it’s down around the neck. The jacket actually is proving to work geat in application on the mountain or on a summertime camping trip (we tested its campfire durability this weekend). What do you all think of the color? Too loud? Not bright enough?
Still June and already it’s ski movie trailer time. Check out the trailer for 
The line is called Cowboys and Indians, in Jackson Hole. In this clip, a behind the scenes from 
