HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM VERBIER!!!

Hey guys,

I am back in Verbier now after a very nice Christmas at home with the family, lots of nice food and a huge amount of drink…..!

Must say a massive thanks to the very nice interview the guys at freeride.co.uk did on me check it out at: http://www.freeride.co.uk/content/2559/. Thanks Tord.

Got back into Verbier on the 27th and it is absolutely heaving with people everywhere, it also hasn’t snowed for two weeks so conditions for skiing are not great which i found out to my cost as i have injured my knee in a big fall two days ago! I have hopefully only strained my medial ligaments, which means i am on crutches for another few days with a knee splint and then a couple of weeks off snow with some physio i should be all good!!! Very frustrating as i hate being injured and it has just started to dump down with snow outside!!!

So no skiing but as its New Years there is plenty of partying to be done…. so if i cant go ski i can certainly help my rehabilitation by funding the various drinking establishments around town…! I also have an old friend out with me from school, Cameron, we were hoping to go riding together but we only managed one day before i did myself in, he’s ripping it around with the rest of the crew though.

So New Years Eve tonight, as i am writing this i am already sipping my first glass of Vodka Red Bull and getting ready to see out 2008 in style, Chris, Cameron, Nic, my sister, the rest of the guys and myself are planning on getting extremely merry and not coming home untill atleast 7 am!!

I hope you all have a great night and 2009 is a good year for you all, i will keep you posted with how the knee is, may be slightly worse after tonight……

Cheers guys and Happy New Year!!!!!!! 

xxx

Still check out: http://www.downdays.eu/en/video/rjf-episode-2

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

Hey guys,

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last two weeks, have been very busy working with Nic Watkins from Run Jump Fly Productions finishing his second episode of “Falling Skies” called “Starting At The Deep End” (called that because when you watch it just check out how much snow we had when we arrived into Verbier!)  Oh and we may have been partying a little bit in celebration….. (the episode link is at the bottom).

The episode shows what we have been up to since arriving in Verbier, we finished shooting the episode on the 17thof December so you can see how lucky we were with the snow. It was a pretty intense 2 and a bit weeks filming as it was the first skiingg i had done since injuring myself last April and the body took a fair few beatings as there were some pretty big crashes as i got back into it, i am sure Nic will put them in the extras of the DVD when it comes out so you guys will be able to see the slams, although the one you can see at the end of this episode put me out for a day as i recovered from a very dead leg!

I must thank STORM Skis for sponsoring it and to Nic for putting up with me ruining shots he had taken ages to set up by stacking it or by skiing the wrong line, he has done a great edit so thanks!

I am now back in London untilSaturday for Christmas with the family, but already itching to get back to the mountains, although the body is enjoying the rest! I hope my flat mate Chris is ok being left on his own, we should all spare a thought for him as he is having to work on Christmas Day!!!

Anyway i hope you all have an amazing Christmas and are getting ready to party hard for New Years Eve, i certainly am! The link below takes you to the episode, so instead of watching all that rubbish Christmas TV check out “Falling Skies” episode 2:

http://www.downdays.eu/en/video/rjf-episode-2

Peace,

Ed xx

PS – Any comments are gratefully received, also let us know what you think of the episode! x

Skies clear and the sun comes out……

After having dumped a meter of snow on us in Verbier the weather finally cleared and the whole mountain has been opened up….. it has been amazing!!!

I have been filming non stop with Nic Watkins from RJF trying to get some big lines done for the episode that is out in a few days, alot of hiking and a few big tumbles but i am really happy with what we got for so early in the season and now having a couple of days off as it has started snowing again…!

Also got a late afternoon shoot done with Camilla Stoddart when the sun was setting and the light was really nice, and it’s always good fun shooting with Camilla so had a great time! If you have time check out her blog too as she keeps it updated with some cool shots http://blog.whiteroompictures.com/

We unwinded last night with a fairly messy night…. first seasonaire party of the winter which was awesome and got to catch up with friends that i hadn’t seen since last winter, always good fun!!!

With another weather front moved in and snow predicted untill Monday it’s all looking good for next week…. the snow just keeps on coming!!!

Arrival in the pouring snow…!

Got into Verbier last week to the amazing reception of walls of snow at the side of the road and having to fit my snow chains to get up the hill which is always a good feeling!!! My drive across France in convoy with my good friend Chris was fun as ever, this time we used our ski radios to chat to each other, not only saving the mobile phone costs but made us feel like we were starring in a driving style Top Gun!!

Got up the hill on the first lift come the next day as Nic Watkins of Run Jump Fly Productions said the snow and the lack of people was too good not to film, so having not ridden since the end of last winter due to injury i was searching for lines on the first morning, i was a little nervous!

After a couple of warm up runs we found an epic looking spine to shoot, Nic set up his cameras from a really cool angle and i went and hiked to the top, which was a bit of a lung buster on my first day at altitude for a while! Nic gave me the word over the radio that i was ready to drop, i ran the line through my head quickly and dropped! At the bottom after skiing a lovely powder filled ridge and bagging the first line of the season, myself and Nic both decided that if we could shoot stuff like that already in November then this is looking to be one of the best seasons we have had for a long time! (Touch Wood……)

You’ll be able to see some of the footage that we have got over the last week on www.downdays.eu come the 20th December and a program will be on there on the 20th of each month after that keeping you up to date with what we’re getting up to!

A few more friends have just arrived into town Camilla Stoddart and Beanie, so will get to go and shoot with Camilla next week hopefully and will try and get some nice shots to put on the site!

Will get on here again soon, with clouds coming in as i type and more snowfall meant to be on its way hopefully with some more stories with what we have been up to!!!

Cheers,

Ed x