Field Trip Pt. 1: Teton Pass
Author: Joey Weamer, FOW
In our development of the Intention 110, we spent an enormous amount of time in the field, testing various iterations of our prototype ski. One of the most memorable ones took the form of the timeless North American road trip. We wound our way up through the Bridgers and Tetons, meeting up with old friends and making new ones as we put our prototypes through the wringer in every condition we could find.
The trip gave us invaluable insights into the design and materials characteristics of our first product. But like any good road trip, it brought us countless smiles, big climbs, and unforgettable descents. The moments we shared brought us closer together and breathed life into our nascent brand.
This is a recount of one of those moments, as seen through the eyes of FOW Joey Weamer.
Photo: Carson Meyer (@carsonmeyerphoto)
Joey Weamer:
My favorite moment? The turn, the turn, the turn... Oh yeah, and new friends, skiing classic zones, beers... and oh yeah, the turn. Always the turn.
Skiing is the chase of that moment where even decades later your senses can still feel it, so crystal clear you can taste it, smell it, as if it just happened. That ONE turn you dreamed about your entire life. I’m a surf wannabe who’s dreamt of what it would be like to get that perfect bottom turn, to fully smash the lip, that “ahhh f*ck yeah” moment.
But I’m a fifth gen, born landlocked Montanan with an “Oh I’ll never leave Montana, brother” mentality. So I’m always on the hunt for that perfect feature where I can lay it down and get that feeling on snow. And to get a pic of the moment so I could hang it on my wall and visually look back at that moment forever was something I never thought would happen.
When I met Sterbenz at the top of Teton Pass last spring, he handed me a pair of prototype skis that I’d never skied before. The last thing I was thinking was, in about 10 turns, I am going to make one of the best turns of my life. The more pressing concern was, would I like and or be able to ski this thing Sterbs had just handed me? And if not, should I lie?
Earning vertical. Teton Pass, WY. Photo: Carson Meyer (@carsonmeyerphoto)
Luckily, I had about an hour hoof up the Mt. Glory bootpack to contemplate my strategy. At the top, we found that classic wind mank crust in subzero temps. Yeah, stoked. When we began working our way down, my first impression was, these seem to work. Then, yeah, I can work with this. Then, look out! It is SO ON.
Game on. Teton Pass, WY. Photo: Carson Meyer (@carsonmeyerphoto)
As we skied down, we were catching glimpses of what could be a couple sucker holes in the clouds and decided to stop for a few and wait for some good light. And all of a sudden - and I’m not sugar coating - the most amazing golden light popped out, and this perfect wave of pow showed itself. Carson started methodically calling out some line options. I hollered, “I don’t care what anyone thinks, I don’t care if it looks stupid, I am pointing it at that spot and GIVIN’R!”
Dang, just thinking about it, I’m laughing again. So fun, so stoked! I could say some cliché crap about wanting to express myself or feeling free or whatever. In reality, I’m just out looking to get that feeling of Kelly Slatering off the lip so hard that the top is going to blow off! [laughs] Can’t wait to get back out there!
What Joey refers to as “Slatering.” Teton Pass, WY. Photo: Carson Meyer (@carsonmeyerphoto)
That night we landed at the Coach. Sterbenz’s buddy had old videos of them from high school skiing their home hill in WI. We all sat there filling our cheeseburger lockers with Modello laughing at how rad the midwest is, reliving the day and talking about the mission Carson was taking us on tomorrow in the “Park.” Damn, what a good time! Thanks for the invite, Sterbs.
- Joey Weamer, FOW
You meet up on the pass and this dude hands you a pair of never before seen prototypes. What do you do?
Why the bootpack is worth it.
FOW Dan Gish joined us all the way from Chicago for this turn.
Window shopping deepness with Matt Sterbenz.
Bottoms up, Joey Weamer!
The equivalent to bench racing on the Pass.
All photos: Carson Meyer (@carsonmeyerphoto)