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EP4: The Sorcerer

April 11th, 2012

Here it is, the last episode of the year!

 

 

 

 

 

We had a great time doing these edits and can’t wait for next year’s antics! Next we head off to Santa Cruz for some surfing/biking and overall decompression. Happy Summer!

EP3: Sleeping Dragon

February 24th, 2012

Episode 3 is finally here! Following along with our travels from Oregon to Utah and trying to stay sane thru one of the most dangerous avalanche season’s in years.

 

Hope you enjoy!!

 

Weston

The Life Unbound partners with MyPOV360.com

February 3rd, 2012

 

 

The Life Unbound partners with MyPOV360.com, industry leader in POV cameras.

 

Park City, UT February 3, 2012.  The Life Unbound is extremely excited to be working with the Drift HD provided by MyPOV360.com.  The Drift’s unique features such as external mic, remote control activation, playback features and more will help take their filming/documenting to new heights.

 

By partnering up with MyPOV360.com, The Life Unbound (LUB) will now have access to the finest POV cameras on the market.  By using the Drift HD they will now have better capabilities for interviews, unique angles and better story telling tools.

 

MyPOV360.com is an industry leader who distributes all makes and models of Point of View (POV) cameras.  “MyPOV360.com meets the needs of sports enthusiasts by providing the highest quality, best value point of view video cameras on the market.”

 

LUB is a chronicle of athletes Weston D and Shaun Raskin as they hunt for snow, travel and live the lifestyle we all dream of.  LUB is a webisodes series and blog, which can be followed at thelifeunbound.com.

 

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How to mount telemark skis

February 1st, 2012

In my time as a telemark skier I have seen some of the most absurd, stupid and impractical mounts than I care to admit. In an attempt to remedy that and hopefully standardize it I created a How-to for mounting telemark bindings to alpine skis.

Leave a comment or chime in on the discussion!

 

One real day

January 31st, 2012

This past Friday I had an unexpectedly amazing day.  The elements of high avy danger, little new snow and mid November depth don’t normally equal an all time day.

As per usual the road up LCC was closed, adding an extra 30 min onto the already long commute.  When we finally got to the Alta parking lot what greeted us, had us frothing:  Clearing sky’s and cold temps.

We got a bit of a head start to beat the crowds and after a few freezing lift ride’s we made it over to Dry Fork.  While the rest of the crew dug a quick pit to asses the snow conditions I stayed watch on top of the ridge should anything happen.

After we discussed how we felt about the snow and the aspect we were on we took a few turns.  WOW!  Cold smoke, blinding, over the head turns where what followed.

pit in the forefrontWe all let out cries of joy at the luck we were having. Even a few short turns and being out with the boys totally reaffirmed why we do what we do.  After about an hour we packed up shop and moved over to Rocky Point (where infamous A Frame cliff is located).  Once over there we noticed another group that was also out taking pictures, so we stayed far skiers right to avoid them.  We all were able to link up more than two turns at a time and couldn’t believe how good the snow was.

Oh, hello winter

Oh, hello winter

 

After two laps and the shadows quickly marching in we called it a day.  The crowds had caught up to us, the light was dying and the temperature was quickly rising.  Below is a picture from Adam Barker that really summed up the day for me:  cold light snow that blew up in some great sunshine.  While I didn’t ski my best it was great to get out there and enjoy the company and some great snow.

Wow, I need that

Wow, I needed that

 

Here is to hoping we get more days like this….many more…..and soon!

EP2: The Strike…..and better late than never

January 18th, 2012

I have been neglecting westond.com and I am sorry! Super proud of this episode and how it turned out, give a look see.

EP 1: The Build

November 24th, 2011

Here it is, our first episode.  Wow, that was a lot harder and stressful than we had thought.  More room to grow!

Cat’s outta the bag

November 8th, 2011

In one of my last updates I announced some changes, changes like stepping away from Telemark Skier Magazine and creating something new.  The time has come and we are excited to share our plans!

TheLifeUnbound

The life unbound. Personified by a dynamic and personable couple who met out west only to find that they grew up in the same state back east. Brought together thru a desire to go further and push harder, the telemark turn became their vehicles of self expression and what ultimately brought them together.”

“With an unwavering quest for adventure these two travel through deserts, mountains, and continents to share with each other, and peers their dreams.”

Follow us as we start the season in Utah, follow binding production in Idaho, Avalanche seminars in Colorado and epic skiing wherever the snow happens to fall.  Watch us closely on Facebook at TheLifeUnbound, Twitter at @TheLifeUnbound, and being developed at this very moment, TheLifeUnbound.com.

 

 

 

 

Road Trip and 22Desgins

October 26th, 2011

After a beyond hectic travel schedule due mostly to weddings we were back home…..for a day.  Our next adventure led us up to Driggs, Idaho to visit the 22Designs crew.  After traveling with a backpack on airlines to bypass the baggage charge, this trip we took the biggest bags we could, because we could.

The workers a workin

We took the non-dramatic route up to Driggs not really knowing any better and pulled in right around 4pm.  It must have looked like we were moving in for a week with the size of our bags, no we were just there for two nights. Our good friend and 22Designs Co-Owner had been out the days previous hunting Elk.  Shaun had also made an off hand comment that if Chris killed anything, she would eat it.  Well it just so happened that, on the first day of the season, Chris got an Elk.  To those of you who don’t know my girlfriend, she doesn’t eat meat and hasn’t for the last 10 years, so this was a big deal.

Chris’s wife, Lane, cooked up the elk even though it was still so fresh and we had ourselves a feast.  Shaun took an Elk medallion and ate it like a champ, to say I was proud of her is an understatement!

The next day we watched the worker bee’s assemble the famed Axl binding.  This was my first time seeing the process and it was extremely cool to see all the improvements the guys have made over the years.  Its definitely more complicated than one would think and it takes several steps to get it ski ready.  All throughout our time packages came and went at the house.  Some times they were bindings being shipped but more often than not it was late the late arrival of parts.

ahh, Jackson

Shaun and I did make it over to Jackson for a little bike ride in Cache Valley on a fun little trail called Putt-Putt.  We walked around the shops, acted like tourists and had a good ole’ time.

One of my all time favorite shops

It was great to get to hang out, meet more of the 22Designs crew and catch our breath in the mountains.  Next up: Miami

Press Release: Weston D

October 10th, 2011

 

Press Release:

My career has taken many twist, turns and detours over the past few years and sometimes its hard to make sense of it all. Last year as an effort to gain a platform, a group of athletes banded together under Josh Madsen and Telemark Skier Magazine (TSM). Madsen’s plan was to create a super group that could leverage, create content and generally shred. Shred we did, from Utah to Montana, Colorado to California we got some good shots and had some epic times.

When it came time to re-sign I had some hard questions to answer. While we had a killer season and one of the snowiest ski season’s on earth, did the goals of the TSM project line up with my own personal goals? Many a night I pondered the question, sometimes it was while I was working at the restaurant and sometimes it was in the quite of my own head. In the end, even though it was a step into the proverbial unknown, I knew what I had to do. It’s like you always learned growing up, the right answer is not always the easiest.

So the decision was made to NOT take the TSM contract. Now what?  The unknown was staring me in the face and appeared as a bottomless hole with no answer,  the questions began to eat away at my rationalization.  But then I remembered my goals, dreams and hard work I’m capable of.  Even though the gears in my head were rusty and seized, they began to turn and create.

It’s been a long time since I have gotten to use my education, problem solve, research and in general use my brain. I like it and the pressure it places squarely on my shoulders. I began to formulate a plan, consult with peers and colleagues and an idea began to emerge.

So from the unknown comes the known and the realization that I have just put a TON of work on my plate. The reality that it is my name on the project and it is a make or break point, for both my ski career, and my professional life.

You may ask what all the work I am eluding to is….stay tuned, Shaun Raskin and I have some big news coming up!