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

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

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:

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!

Usually in the Wasatch we get one, nice early season storm.  It borders right on the edge of being ridiculous to ski and being incredibly fun.  Some years we basically are rock skiing, other years its blower overhead.  Today sounds as if its going to be in the middle.  The other huge thought on peoples mind is to not get hurt/blow the season on the first day.  Day 1 is reserved for remembering how to skin and a few alpine turns, if your lucky a telemark turn.

I leave you with a photo from last pre-season, it was pretty epic on day 1 last season, here’s to another awesome season!

With the advent of the Weston D facebook page, my website has taken a bit of a hit.  To remedy some of that we will play catch up.

Here is a fun little video from some biking.  Biking hurts especially when you run into trees and fall on your face.

This is the trailer for the upcoming movie, Loyalty. Be sure to check it out at a town near you here!

Some big changes are in the mix and itll all be explained here in the next couple of weeks!

It’s been a while in the making, but the super group has been formed. In an effort to vertically integrate, cut costs, increase productivity, and raise overall stoke myself and four other skiers have signed on with Telemark Skier Magazine (TSM).

For the full article and a quick explanation of what it all means check out Telemark Skier Magazine’s press release found here.

Super stoked on the opportunity and looking forward to writing about the behind, way behind, scenes material here.

Also be sure to go to my newly created athlete page on Facebook