Day 1. "Laird wants to know if you want to come spend the week in the Tordrillo's Heli Boarding with us," was the message left on my phone by his lifetime tow-surf partner Dave Kalama. Saying yes was one of the easier decisions I have had all winter. First off, Laird has always been a big inspiration to me. His ability to think outside the box and charge the impossible is some of the most impressive forward thinking that anyone has done in any sport. He beats to his own drum, follows his hart and could care less what the rest off his sport thinks about it.
I was definitely a little intimidated to meet him but that changed quickly. He is a really down to earth and very out going person that makes anyone in his presence feel comfortable.
The icing on the cake was that this was all going down in the Tordrillo Mountains in Alaska. I was lucky enough to spend three weeks here two years ago and I have been trying hard to get back. They are a much bigger range then anything I have ridden before in Alaska. The closest road is 150 miles away and Denali sits 30 miles away to the east. This has made these mountains some of the most untouched mountains in Alaska. The thing that excites me the most is that the scale of the mountains ranges from small and manageable mini golf to triple XL lines that on the right day could be rippable. We are not on the triple XL hunt on this trip but I will be back this spring for some big game hunting.
- The set up. Lodge, Heli, Hot Tub, and Suana. The Tordrillo Mountain Lodge is in a leagu of its own for Alaska Heli Skiing.
- Laird could not wait to get to the lodge and cut a swimming hole into the lake by the sauna.
- THis time of year the days are short. This was our first morning at the lodge looking out at Mt Spur. It is 8:30 AM and the sun is just rising.
- Dave Kalama is one of the nicest guys in the world. He grew up in Mammoth and is really strong on his ski's.
- Dave still going.
- By the afternoon we had found good snow and started ramping it up to bigger lines. This was my best line of the day. I managed to cross court the lower spine to the right and float a fun backside air.
- Most of Laird's riding has been in Alaska and it shows. He is really good at spotting lines and very comfortable moving around the mountains. He snowboards with the same power and strength that he surfs with.
- This is the start of the really crazy terrain and the zone that has had me day dreaming for years of the possibilities.
- Sunset
