Ski Tracks App Review

“Dood I swear I was going 100kph on that last run.” “No you weren’t dood.” Now, thanks to the Ski Tracks app for iPhone, this dispute can be settled easily. The Ski Tracks app for iPhone is an advanced GPS app that tracks and records many different stats while you are riding. Including; top speed, avg speed, total vertical feet, vertical feet per run, # of runs, where you ride and more.

Ski Tracks & the Tracks Screen

Ski Tracks app

Cost: $1.99 or FREE for the Lite version
Cool Factor: Pretty Cool
Functional Factor: Very Good – you can track where you go so you can keep from getting lost
Freestyle Factor: Pretty Low – it doesn’t track air time or rotations
Website: www.corecoders.com

If my freind Joe had this app a few years ago, he wouldn't have gotten lost, spent two nights off the back Cypress, and he would still have all his toes.

The interface is easy to use and the many functions are fun to play with. You can save different tracks from different mountains and view these tracks in either satellite, standard or track mode(which looks like sonar). The app can also be used to track how many park runs you get in a session and with the Altitude & Speed screen you can see when you picked up speed and when you slowed down graphed over the whole session(see image above). In ‘Settings’ you can toggle back and forth between metric and imperial so that you can review your elevation and vertical skied in feet and speed in kilometers. This is actually the one drawback to the app because Canadians tend to refer to height in feet and speed in kilometers and you cannot set each of these independently. The other drawback, mentioned earlier, is not tracking airtime, rotations or amount of time spend on rails.

One of my favourite things to do with the app is Freeracing. Which is kinda like Freeskiing or Freestyling except its racing. Here is how you play:

Get a group of friends together and download the Ski Tracks app
Turn the app on
Pick a run
Race it*
Pull out you iPhones at the bottom of the chairlift and see who clocked the top speed

Winner winner chicken dinner. Brad hit 98kph.

*Grouse Mountain is making a concerted effort to promote safe skiing and boarding. So make sure you pick an appropriate run to race on.

Overall I give the Ski Tracks app 4 out 5 Highfives.

-Myrosha

Quicksilver Park

Here are a few shots from a mellow afternoon in the Quicksilver park! The snow that day was less than prime, but the set ups were proper and had flow – really fun. Everything is looking great up there, lots of options!

-Matthew

Grouse Park Playlist 3 – The Journey

Now that the holidays are over I am getting back into school and riding. I spent a lot of my time in December traveling. This Grouse Park Playlist is inspired by thinking about shredding while on the road. I spent 40 hours in a car from Calgary to southern Ontario in one long seamlessly never ending journey. This gave me plenty of time to reflect and go through my whole iPod, there were many songs that made me nostalgic of epic days on the mountain. I picked these songs in particular because they all have good vibes. While skiing and snowboarding there are many different styles of music to get into, and I am a fan of almost all music. When I’m not on the mountain these tracks seem like theme songs for the good days. They bring back all the good memories and in turn gets me hyped to go ride! It’s hard to try and pick a playlist that is good for riding, as everyone gets down to something different. This collection of songs can at least convey a feeling that you can relate back to being on the mountain with friends. In my opinion, now that the snow is flying, the good times must be just around the corner. See you out there!

Listen, stream or share Grouse Park Playlist 3 – The Journey here.

-Matthew

January – Wanted List

Cheap Monday: jacket + shirt

Electric: EG2.5s

Comme des Garcon: Macbook case

Nike: Zoom Force 1 – Dark Obsidian

Capita: Space Metal Fantasy FK

Above is the first of a monthly Wanted List I plan to post here on the Grouse Park blog. This month I am feeling a real-life-boarding vibe. Starting with an oversize starter jacket paired with a mellow plaid shirt for the mild park days we were having up until recently. With that, the Electric EG 2.5’s – a smaller version of the original EG 2’s, great for anyone with a smaller face. After that is a Japanese leather Macbook case – for travelers, students and employed; replacing the need for a backpack. Finally a pair of amazingly supportive Nike boots and a Capita FK, a 2012 Transworld good wood winner and one of my favourites for park and powder days.

CV

Park Update: Cut Line

Good morning,

For those that don’t know me already, my name is Marcus Cartwright. This is my 6th winter season at grouse. Couple things: If you haven’t been up since last week, there have been some changes to the Cut Line. We have two progressive lines at the moment that flow into the jump (L). Big shout outs to the park crew and park groomer.

We’ve also begun working on the Quiksilver park today, so the Side Cut will be on standby until further notice. Stay tuned to our announcements on Twitter for more.
-MC

1st line goes a little something like this:

Flat Down Box (L)
Red Mario Tube Rail set up on a flat (L)
20’ Fun Box (M)
25’ Down Box (M)

2nd line, is a rail line and goes like this:

20’ Down Flat bar (M)
20’ Flat Shotgun Rail (M)
20’ Down Shotgun Rail (M)
“NEW” 32’ Elbow Kink Rail setup flat (L)
30’ Round Down Rail (L)

Urban

Here are 2 clips from Saturdays urban session. First is an accidental firecracker to some serious heavy head. Second is a land. I didn’t get any tricks besides the skislide, city rails aren’t as easy as they look!

-Jason

Snow in the City!

North Vancouver is a gold mine for handrails, but since we rarely get snow these rails don’t often see any action. Well we finally had some snow fall last night so Trint Thomas (newest Endeavor Am), Jeremy Cox and myself got down to work right away before the snow melted. We set up a 14-flat-11 stair down-flat-down. It’s a rail in my neighborhood that I’ve been looking to ski for the last couple of years.

Video clips to come, but for now here’s some behind the scenes shots from the session.

Jeremy getting the shot.

Trint about to drop in.