4:38am in SLC

photo taken by Ian Matteson in January 2009

Mammoth Mountain, CA

Ian Provo is a Savage

Armada athlete Ian Provo did a 24 hr shred-a-thon. Waves, mini-ramp, and skiing....not a set of activities for the end of May!

Check the full update HERE!

Walk Away

Happiness begins where the pavement stops, where cell phones have zero reception, where complacency is defined by reconnecting with a primitive past. In this place, light from galaxies is far brighter than cityscapes, uninhabited vastness extends for miles, and genuine silence is shattered by a symphony wildlife interacting with their surroundings. Incredible scenery produces a slower rate of breathing, enamored with the complexity of the outside world. Here, genuine solace penetrates the soul and I couldn't be happier for the opportunity to walk away.

Visions From Days Past

The above photos were taken in late spring of 2009 by Jason Eichhorst. At this point in my life, I was sleeping in my 03' Jeep Cherokee, $50 could purchase food for weeks, and I would shower, workout, and check emails at the clubhouse of a local golf course in the woods of Mt Hood, OR. In all honestly, I wouldn't have made it if it weren't for key friends, individuals, and genuine people that helped along the way. Secretly, I intend to make millions later in life and drop off unsolicited seven figure checks into their mailboxes with the following note:

"Thank you for making the world a better place"

Until then, I'm going skiing, enjoying life, and helping those in need.

BOOM!

Back in ski boots at Mammoth this week!

Thanks to my boy Shay Williams for the photo.

Musical Accompaniment

Despite not playing drums for 7 years, I had some fun this weekend jamming with Jacob Wester.

Happy Birthday Hank Lambo!

In the fall of 07' I had the pleasure of living with one of CU Boulder's finest, Henrik Lampert. Aside from late night calls to girls offering turkey & cheese sandwiches, dominating his 12 credit hour schedule, and shooting immaculate photos, one of Hank's favorite activities was changing his Facebook B-Day every 20 - 30 days.

"If it's on Facebook, it's official" he would say, as thousands of genial birthday wishes would flood his inbox.

Well Hank, I have no idea when your actual birthday falls, but if it's today, Happy Birthday my man!

There's Really no Way of Knowing....

ARcast Whistler

ARcast Whistler feat. Jacob Wester, Phil Casabon, Gus Kenworthy and more from ARMADA SKIS INC. on Vimeo.

Trail Running above LA.

Although the office is in Costa Mesa, I've been staying in LA for the past few weeks and making the best of my 100 mile round trip commute. The traffic is sinister, Cali drivers are insane, and attempting to travel the 405, 5, or 605 during peak hours will transform a calm and positive driver into an rabid beast capable of unspeakable verbal atrocities. Thankfully, rather than subject myself to rush hour, I run the trails throughout Griffith Park every morning, avoid peak times, and work a solid 11am-9pm day.

LA from Griffith Park

The Griffith Observatory

Burbank or Glendale? There's really no way of knowing

Enjoying the silence.

The Paradigm Shift.

When I accepted my position as Armada Team Manager, I was living in Breck, sleeping in a walk-in closet, eating minimally, and skiing park everyday. A week later, I was driving down I-15 S, en route to Costa Mesa, CA to start what continues to formulate the best winter of my life. Although beach living is not recommended for the avid skier, working at Armada is engaging, I feel challenged, alive, and ready to create the next chapter of my life. Although I found limitless joy skiing 300+ days each season, I neglected the importance of balance, ultimately locking myself into forever broadening trenches of apathy, anxiety, and boredom.

When done properly, skiing never will stagnate. The possibilities to challenge yourself physically and mentally are unparalleled and living in the mountains is genuinely enthralling. However, if you stop progressing, stop changing the way you ski, performing tricks, or even decrease the rate at which you're embracing new challenges, something inside you changes. It eats away at you, tenses your muscles, and every chair lift ride, every conversation, every time you close your eyes at night, the thought that you're no longer enjoying yourself on skis consumes your very existence. For me, the challenge came not in the physical act of skiing but in financing my life around the sport. At the time, I would make ends meet by freelance writing/ photos, managing the social media at Freeskibrands, coaching, ski testing, bar-tending, selling old ski-gear, and a variety of other hobbies. Life was fun, but when buying groceries, paying student loans, and traveling to ski became over-bearing, I began to suffocate in my own paradise.

5 months later, I'm skiing and traveling more than ever, my mind is actively engaged, and opportunities for physical and analytical challenges are the structure of my daily life. The individuals I meet, the athletes I work with, and the network of people that thrive within the mountains are outstanding. People are passionate here. Regardless of why they participate in action sports, the molecular compounds that bind us together are built upon a lifestyle of limitless potential and unyielding opportunity.

Below are a few pictures from the past few months:

Prior to leaving Breck, I filled Keri Herman's room with 457 balloons! Classic.

So long and thanks for all the hot laps.

If your 48 page keynote presentation ever fails the night before your interview, make sure to stay up all night restoring your project, fall asleep with headphones in your ear, and venture to the hospital in the morning to remove the headphones! Even if you miss your meeting, you may get the job anyway.

Lake Tahoe, CA

Nightly beach walks keep the sanity levels up. Newport Beach, CA

Airports: lots of folks venturing to different places

While packing up one's life and leaving an incredible house could be seen as a difficult process, my boss made it extremely easy and gave me a room at his house all winter. Along with being located a casual 5 minute drive to work, it was a short walk to the beach, great restaurants, and a world of activity.

Despite the comical folks depicted in the TV shows, winter in Laguna Beach is quiet and home to some of the best sunsets in Orange County.

She's just so nervous.

Sunsets and palm trees: never a bad thing to see after a couple weeks on the road.

Always choose the window seat

The Pacific.

Keep moving forward!