Ski mountaineers Kit Deslaurier and Chris Davenport were given Everest Awards on Friday night in Vail during The Teva Mountain Games. The Awards recognise the year’s top adventure sports athletes (male and female) with the most outstanding achievements and accomplishments, and are often referred to as the ‘Oscars of the Outdoor Industry’.
...There are eight different award categories, and Davenport and Deslauriers tied as winners of the award for Expedition of the Year - Davenport for his Ski the 14ers project (skiing Colorado’s 54 tallest peaks in one season) and Deslauriers for her completion of the Seven Summits quest (becoming the first person to ski from the peaks of the 7 highest summits on each continent).
Ski mountaineers Kit Deslaurier and Chris Davenport were given Everest Awards on Friday night in Vail during The Teva Mountain Games. The Awards recognise the year’s top adventure sports athletes (male and female) with the most outstanding achievements and accomplishments, and are often referred to as the ‘Oscars of the Outdoor Industry’.
...There are eight different award categories, and Davenport and Deslauriers tied as winners of the award for Expedition of the Year - Davenport for his Ski the 14ers project (skiing Colorado’s 54 tallest peaks in one season) and Deslauriers for her completion of the Seven Summits quest (becoming the first person to ski from the peaks of the 7 highest summits on each continent).
although I have some reservations about skiing Kilomanjaro I think Kit is a very good winner.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Hmmmm.
Not wishing to put a downer on any of this, and on an AWESOME achievement skiing the 7 summits, but I'm pretty sure Davo Karnicar completed this a few years back, and didn't once take his skis off on Everest (even down the Hilary step), unlike Deslauriers who swapped back to crampons for this section. But hey, Davo is from Eastern Europe, so why should the Yanks worry about him...
Kit's a good guy. His brother, Eric, is a good laugh too. But trust me, don't start doing Jager shots with him unless you have the constitution of an Irishman.
Their book, "Ski the Whole Mountain" is a good read, even if you don't agree with some of their technique ideas, the photos are amazing.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
offpisteskiing wrote:
Hmmmm.
Not wishing to put a downer on any of this, and on an AWESOME achievement skiing the 7 summits, but I'm pretty sure Davo Karnicar completed this a few years back
No he completed the 7 summit in November 2006, a month after Kit Deslauriers. It is no less of an achievement. Maybe he didn't have as good sponsorship... although I suspect he lost interest until he saw Deslauriers was on his tail.
Your point about the Hilary step is interesting. Maybe someone can give an opinion on whether it is normally possible to ski this obstacle. It is like the Dome des Ecrins via the col des Ecrins. Normally the section below the col is not skiable but in big snow years or maybe after heavy spring snowfall it can be skied. However the col is considered to not normally be skiable so if you rappel down it is still considered that you skied the Dome whereas if you rappelled down other routes it would be considered that you bottled it.
Wear The Fox Hat wrote:
Kit's a good guy. His brother, Eric, is a good laugh too. But trust me, don't start doing Jager shots with him unless you have the constitution of an Irishman.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
...must have been those Jager shots...
After all it is free
After all it is free
The Everest Awards may be a big a deal in the Outdoor Industry where skiing is concerned but they're certainly not the Oscars in the big picture......... what about the Piolet d'or. An annual mountaineering award which has been given by the French magazine Montagnes and The Groupe de Haute Montagne since 1991. Brit Tim Ian Parnell has been nominated three times (in 2006 along with Tim Emmett) for major new routes in the greater ranges.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Sorry, blond moments for me last night! I mixed up Kit with Rob (Kit's husband).
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
weeSKI wrote:
The Everest Awards may be a big a deal in the Outdoor Industry where skiing is concerned but they're certainly not the Oscars in the big picture......... what about the Piolet d'or. An annual mountaineering award which has been given by the French magazine Montagnes and The Groupe de Haute Montagne since 1991.
The Groupe de Haute-Montagne pulled out of the Piolet d'Or before the last (2007) event. Yes, it is kind of like the Caesars of mountaineering if you like the analogy (not mine)
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Wear The Fox Hat wrote:
Sorry, blond moments for me last night! I mixed up Kit with Rob (Kit's husband).
Not a mistake to make in the wee hours, eh?
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
davidof,
OK, I stand corrected. I was under the impression Davo had skied all 7 a while before that but hey...Wouldn't be the first time I'd been wrong...
Either way its an outstanding achievement. I know a few folks who've been on most of these peaks, and really they aren't particularly nice 'ski' peaks (Aconcagua nearly always hideously wind-affected...etc etc etc ), so to ski all of them is seriously praise-worthy.
Yes its an interesting line between a descent with standard raps in or bottling and rapping past the steep section, but thats a big ethical can of worms... Everest has had 'integral' descents; from Karnicar, and how about Siffredi? I've never seen/read all that much about his snowboard descent of the North Side (Norton Couloir?) but something tells me this was from the summit with board on feet ? Who knows...anyway, hauling your *rse up there and having the guts to strap your planks on when its already hard just to put one foot in front of the other is enough for major respect already.
Sounds like this spring wasn't great for skiing...Jean-Noel Urban was there from the North side and the piccies looked pretty bare.
Whilst we're 'on' Everest, Kenton Cool's 4th and 5th summits this spring, (and 1st Westerner to summit twice in 1 season! ) seem to have gone relatively unremarked in the 'mountain press'...so...nice one Kenny!!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
offpisteskiing wrote:
davidof,
OK, I stand corrected. I was under the impression Davo had skied all 7 a while before that but hey...Wouldn't be the first time I'd been wrong...
Either way its an outstanding achievement. I know a few folks who've been on most of these peaks, and really they aren't particularly nice 'ski' peaks (Aconcagua nearly always hideously wind-affected...etc etc etc ), so to ski all of them is seriously praise-worthy.
I agree totally with your assessment. It seems that Davo knocked off 6 of the summits in rapid order than got sidetracked onto other stuff or maybe the logistics of skiing Vinson were too great. I've read In the Footsteps of an Angel and Siffredi does indeed ride off the summit.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
offpisteskiing wrote:
Sounds like this spring wasn't great for skiing...Jean-Noel Urban was there from the North side and the piccies looked pretty bare.
Didn't sound great for him, shame. I posted a short report on Urban on my site. My friends at Dynafit were keen to publicise his activities.
Yep, a long way to travel to get those conditions! Still, nice bit of peak-bagging!!!
He seems pretty mellow about the whole thing though from reading his website entries...
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:
maybe the logistics of skiing Vinson were too great
Or the money required too great, from what I read.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
el Hen wrote:
- Davenport for his Ski the 14ers project (skiing Colorado’s 54 tallest peaks in one season)
There is more background to this at http://www.skithe14ers.com/
It ended up being one year rather than one season, but still a great achievement.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Saw the Karnicar Everest descent at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival. Helmet cam footage. I was tired just watching it.
All this first descent stuff can get a bit boring mind. I remember a committed team of Grenoblois claimed a first descent of an extreme couloir near me a couple of years ago only to have some old geezer inform them he'd done the route over a decade before (he had the reputation and photos to prove it) on 210cm skis as they used at the time. People asked him why he hadn't publicized his descent, he said he didn't feel any need to. Now that is classy.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Mike Pow, Nice, liking the link...
davidof, Anselme Baud said something in the foreword/intro in his 'book of certain death' about leaving your signature in the snow only until the next snowfall comes along to cover it... can't remember exactly but it was quite profound and very true...
Saying that, if your after sponsors then 'first descents' do bring a certain cachet...
People asked him why he hadn't publicized his descent, he said he didn't feel any need to. Now that is classy.
Quote:
Saying that, if your after sponsors then 'first descents' do bring a certain cachet...
With or without the money, it would still happen. The guys and gals will do it just for the heck of it.
That expose what lies beneath all these publicity of "extream sport". Basically, skiers (and climbers, or mountain bikers etc.) has been doing such things mostly for their own fun and satisfaction. And that's what it really is. Boys and girls who refuse to grow up. It's all good commaradie and sporting. That is, until the coorperate world of outdoor equipment providers start jamming it down the throat (I mean tube) of the couch patato that this is what outdoor pursuit is about, the nearly reckless "first decends".
And they're the same people who complain about their insurance rates for their product is going through the roof.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
It's all good commaradie and sporting. That is, until the coorperate world of outdoor equipment providers start jamming it down the throat (I mean tube) of the couch patato that this is what outdoor pursuit is about, the nearly reckless "first decends".
