Saving the Stoke: Last Skier Standing, Variable Documentary, Taking on the Presidentials and why Backcountry is the road to finding yourself
Last Skier Standing
It’s been a pretty epic winter on the East Coast this year and stoke levels have been high all around. Especially, if you live or have visited Jay Peak (or anywhere north of NYC for that matter). Backcountry has been really top of mind lately, so this week I pay homage to all those supreme athletes killing it in the rocks and roots. In fact, you can support POW and get your own rock and stumps t-shirt here.
Every week (or at least every other week) I’ll try and highlight the top “stoke level” newsworthy stories. These are anything “good news” that helps keep the stoke alive. If you have a story to submit, send me a message :)
1. Last Skier Standing
If you’re not familiar with skinning/touring and the level of intensity we like to bring in winter - just check out Last Man Standing presented by White Mountain Ski Co.
This is exactly as it sounds… a bunch of touring lovers try to outlast each other by climbing and skiing a mountain for days straight - as long as they can keep going. That’s right - no sleep, no real meals, wet skins, headlamps - you name it. It’s like an ultramarathon for snow lovers.
But who does THIS??
Lukas Janulaitis (@lukasj.11 ) was in fact, the last man standing after 71 hours and 80,000 feet of vertical.
As an example, I try to get at least 10,000 vertical a day (DOWNHILL ONLY) and that’s a good day. Our man Lukas climbed about an average of 26,600 per day for 3 days with no sleep.
HUGE shoutout to everyone involved, but mostly thank you to White Mountain Co. and Lukas and all the participants for keeping the stoke high.
Learn more about the adventure here and if you want to watch/participate next year.
2. Variable Documentary on Skiing all 46 peaks in the Adirondacks
So what happens when the stoke level is low because resorts are crowded and icy, parking sucks, the chicken tenders are overpriced and you’re tired of getting your snowboard run over in the 3-hour lift line?
You go backcountry.
I first heard about this on the 46 of 46 Podcast (a favorite of mine and everything ADK).
And I couldn’t relate more. Everyone on the East Coast feels the burn of the overcrowding and mismanagement of largely owned ski resorts gobbling up every other resort they can (not to name names). So what do you do? You leave for the trees.
Brothers Jamie and Doug Kennard were previous alpine racers and wanted a new stoke level (yes!) so they started to climb all the peaks in the Catskills and Adirondacks. They did this quietly, not sure the goal would ever happen - only ONE man had ever done this previously - local legend Ron Konowitz.
But through many obstacles and setbacks and losses and even an emergency evacuation, they succeeded. If you’ve ever been curious about backcountry and what excatly it takes to get out there, this is a movie you won’t want to miss. Jamie produced it himself using footage from their 10-year journey. So kudos to this new movie producer as well for taking the painstaking time to piece together a film that will keep us striving for more stoke for years and generations to come.
They still have some screenings coming up in 2025. Learn more about the movie and local screenings here.
Footnote:
We met Doug and Jamie in North Conway at a screening and they were as cool as you’d expect. My son is really getting into backcountry, and he asked Jamie what his advice would be for beginners like him. Jamie’s response? Learn to get up at 4am!
3. The Presidential Ski Project - How Ryan’s Journey of Skiing Saved His Life
While at the Backcountry Fest in North Conway, we had the pleasure of meeting Ryan, and his father, Robert. As if meant to be, Max immediately gravitated to this aspiring 23-year-old who is taking on all of the presidential and was visibly passionate about his quest. Even at a young age, he knew this mountain range better than most, from highly calculated routes and patterns to ropes and degrees, gullies and cruxes. He’s even mapping every single route out for you, with extreme detail, coming soon.
He spoke directly to Max and those who are into backcountry, and you could literally see the spark growing in his eyes as he watched footage and listened to Ryan talk about some of the most difficult climbs in the NorthEast sound like a simple walk around Central Park - with the right gear, weather and scientific calculations, of course.
But it gets even more motivating, as Ryan and his dad wrote a book about how skiing saved his life. How he learned to tackle the elements on the mountains and turn those into taking on life’s challenges. He presented Max with his own signed copy, with the promise that Max would actually read it. And true to his word, as soon as we got home that evening, he dived right into it.
So where can you get Ryan’s book?
Please buy Without Restraint directly from him here. I highly encourage you to read it. Especially if you have a child or are a parent who is struggling to find their way. Nature heals, and this book is proof.
Also, you should follow Ryan on Instagram and YouTube to see some of the terrain he’s covering. Everything he does has a WOW factor. You won’t be disappointed.
There was a lot of other incredibly great energy in that room that night. Lots more happened that I will keep to the confines of that room, but my friend and still talk about it with awe. And if we meet one day, ask me about it and I may share the wealth. But take with you one thing - this is why I encourage you to step into this world.
There is something incredible about the outdoor community, and especially those in the backcountry realm. These people look to seek beyond the usual, to find and welcome those into the most extreme elements and yet are some of the most humble, generous and genuinely kind-hearted people I have encountered.