Stories
LÉ BENT WELCOMES MICHELE GRAGLIA TO THE TEAM
Michele Graglia competes in the gnarliest running races on the planet. When he’s not competing against others, he’s setting records and racing himself. To that end, he’s set Guinness World Records for running across the Atacama Desert in Chile (600 miles in 8 days) and after that, the Gobi Desert in Mongolia (1100 miles in 23 days). Mickey won the Yukon Arctic Ultra in temperatures below -40°C (-40°F), and he won the Badwater 135 in Death Valley, with temperatures above 54°C (130°F), making him the first person in history to win both the hottest and coldest foot races on the planet. It would be an incredible feat for someone who had cut their teeth — or rather, their feet — on trails from a young age. So it’s even more impressive given the fact Mickey was more familiar with runways than running as a former top fashion model and only took up trail running at 27 years old. We caught up with Mickey to officially welcome him to the Lé Bent team and figure out how he keeps putting one foot in front of the other. LB: Hey Michele, what’s up! We’re stoked to finally be able to share with the world that you’ve joined the Lé Bent trail team. Welcome!! MG: I really appreciate and super excited to join the Team! I'm looking forward to see what we can achieve together! We almost didn’t know where to stop when it came to listing your achievements above. We reckon you’d be hard pressed to find a more impressive ultramarathon resume than yours. There are so many to choose from but can you tell us which race or races in particular have left a lasting impression on you? I always found the most extreme races to be the most memorable. It's never really about the results for me and I love the challenge of course though the one thing that truly keeps me going back for more is the opportunity to connect with the most pristine, untouched and raw side of Nature. The senses are heightened and when I feel the most alive. Following these thoughts, and to answer your question, Tor des Geants, this September!! It is the hardest ultra trail race in the world: 330km through the most rugged trails in the Italian Alps. In addition to the many races you’ve competed in, you’ve also achieved a number of solo world records and FKT’s. How do these projects come about and how do they differ from racing for you? I love both racing and explorations as they all allow to stretch our boundaries and grow, although I found personal expeditions to offer a much deeper and personal experience. When the competition is removed they become unique opportunities to truly connect with oneself, to feel completely submerged in the experienced and fully present in the moment. Now, help us settle an office bet. Was it harder to run across the Atacama Desert or the Gobi Desert? Not just by distance but the Gobi was a way greater challenge than the Atacama.The Mongolian desert is ruthless and only gave hard blows. Facing strong, gutsy, incessant winds for days on end through a seemingly endless vast steppe.We went from desert dunes to high mountain passes and temperatures that could range daily between -10C to +40C. It was by far the hardest challenge I have faced up until then. We’ve got a fair few deserts here in Australia. Maybe we’ll have to get you down under to see how they stack up! It is a life dream of mine to cross Australia! I have always been fascinated and cannot quite honestly wait to start planning the crossing! Now running across deserts is a far cry from strolling down a runway. What drew you to trail running and made you leave what we can only imagine was a pretty cushy lifestyle as a top fashion model? Modelling began as my American Dream though the perks of that fast lifestyle soon showed their ugly side. While being at the top I had fallen to the bottom. I felt disconnected, lost and alone. During the most critical time in my life, I discovered trail and ultra running. Running through Nature showed me a new way of life. A new perspective. As cliche as it may sound, running did save my life and became an opportunity to reconnect with myself at the deepest level. You’ve developed a reputation as someone who can handle any environment, terrain and temperature. Did this happen naturally or did you seek out events with completely opposite temperatures like the Yukon Arctic Ultra and Badwater? I was drawn to them in a very primal and simple way. I wanted to feel for myself the power of the most extreme sides of Nature. There are some similarities with Lé Bent there as far as, cold and hot, snow and sand. What attracted you to Le Bent? The outstanding quality of the products! How have you enjoyed running in our Signature Merino Blend socks? I certainly love how comfy and soft they are! Also, I felt like the "wrap around" perfectly fits and supports the arch and the ankle too. I love them and keep them on all day, running or chilling. The breathability is an outstanding asset too as I can go for hours on end with perfectly dry feet! How valuable is something like a fresh pair of socks when you’re running for over three weeks straight as you did in Mongolia? Keeping the feet happy in long traverses is fundamental and a fresh pair always rewards you with a sense of renewed energy and light feel! Most valuable! So, if there was ever to be a Mickey Pro Series sock, what would it look like? Some cushion on the heel and a tight wrap around the plantar (mid foot). Definitely mid/low calf and with a tight fit on the ankle. The colours would need to be very natural, yet powerful. We think that could be arranged... Leave it with us! Let's GOOO!! While we get to work on the Mickey sock, what else can we look forward to from you this year? I am going to run the Lavaredo Ultra Trail at the end of June, part of the UTMB circuit. In September I am going to face the Tor des Geants, in Valle D'Aosta, in the heart of the Italian Alps. I am then running the Gran Sasso, OneHundred World Series Final in October. I also have a couple of expedition options for the end of the year, but that's still a secret. ;) ABOUT MICHELE Age: 38 Hometown: Sanremo, Italy Nationality: Italian / American Sponsors: Le Bent, TransPerfect, LaSportiva, Garmin, SaltStick, ShPlus, Vespa, NW Curve Favourite Le Bent gear: the Terra Ultra Light 3/4 Crew Trail Socks or the shorter Ultra Light Mini Trail Socks. Follow Michele here: Instagram
Read more
Cody Townsend’s The Fifty Project is Back - Behind The Scenes of Season 3
Cody Townsend is a skier of international renown. At one time most known perhaps for his “line of the year” in 2014, he’s now turned his attention to a self-produced film series “The Fifty Project”, inspired by the book, ‘The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America.’ He’s less known, but equally defined in his mind by an, “undying love of fart jokes, abhorrence of math and curious infatuation with tiny dogs.” Cody’s real-life web series became an unprecedented success in the first half of 2019 and introduced a mainstream audience and other skiers alike, to such niche objects as skins, beacons and ski touring socks. Not only are we stoked to announce the return of the Fifty Project for season 3, but Lé Bent is now also an official sponsor. Now 28 episodes deep, and having documented 30 classic ski lines and counting, the most watched winter sports series in the world is back. “The FIFTY was started because I was searching for something new in skiing.” - Cody Townsend Watch the latest episodes here: “I’d spent the prior decade chasing the highest performance downhill, big mountain focused skiing I could. Eventually I felt like I’d tapped out all my dreams, goals and challenges within that realm.” Said Cody. “As skiing is a sport with an unlimited amount of ways you can do it, I started being drawn into the human-powered approach to skiing big lines, to expeditions to far flung corners of the world and to skiing iconic peaks that had no mechanized access.” To date, Cody’s been joined by a number of big-name, big mountain riders as well as lesser known but equally respected locals. From the likes of snowboarder and activist Jeremy Jones, to photographer Jimmy Chin and fellow Le Bent team rider Elyse Saugstad (who also happens to be Cody’s better half). However, this season promises to have an even more stacked cast of mountain icons. Cody leading Jimmy Chin up the Grand Teton for Episode 12. Pic cred: Bjarne Salen Jeremy Jones joined Cody on his mission up Meteorite in Alaska for the short film Peak Obsession which combined lines 17 and 18 of the Fifty. Pic cred: Bjarne Salen The first episode of season 3 where the team tries to climb and ski Mt Stimson is a doozy. “Sometimes it's not immediately apparent what is "classic" about the lines in the book.” Said Cody. “With Stimson, it was pretty obvious. It's a mountain that sticks up like a giant white shark fin in the sky, dwarfing nearly everything else around it. There is one little sliver off of Hwy 2 in Glacier National Park where it jumps out of the forest and stands tall and proud. It's the kind of mountain that screams at you and draws you in with its magnetic aesthetics.” “Problem is what you don't stare at, what you look right over, is possibly the gnarliest part of this mountain...the 9mile (14.5km), thick forested, heavily vegetated, deep canyoned, narrow creek'ed approach.” Mt Stimson is the opposite of low hanging fruit. Here it lurks in the distance, with days of bushwhacking and creek crossings in between. Pic cred: Bjarne Salen “I'd honestly not recommend anyone to attempt this line unless you're really into ski touring in creek water filled ski boots, torn clothes, lugging heavy backpacks over and under hundreds of deadfall trees and generally just all out suffering for days on end.” “Now I've been known to do some bushwhacks, but absolutely nothing compares with this bushwhack.” Said Cody. Indeed, Cody’s no sook when it comes to creek crossings and taking off his socks in the snow. Heck, he did a bunch of them when he visited us Downunder during our final testing of his Signature Pro Series Snow Sock. “There is no getting around the complete punishment your feet go through on tours like Stimson," he said. "You’re gonna get them wet, sweaty and cold at times. But minimizing those impacts with better materials and innovations like the heel grip strips on the Pro Model Sock helps you get through the day.” “I know with those socks I’m gonna have less chance of blisters, which could be trip enders, and more chance for warm feet which makes the challenges that you’re gonna face just a little bit easier.” Cody's Pro Series Sock. Before the line (left) and drying inside-out after a creek crossing en route to Mt Stimson for the first line of the season (right). Pic cred: Ming Poon & Bjarne Salen When asked what we can expect out of this season of the Fifty Project, Cody said, “More suffering, more education and some big challenges.” “This season was one of the toughest seasons yet and I think the entertainment value because of that is only increased. It wasn’t my favorite season while out in the field, but it’s probably my favorite season in terms of the episodes we’ve produced.” There’ll also be plenty of bonus episodes too, noting that in seasons 1 & 2 Cody produced 11 bonus episodes that often covered his all-important gear selection. “My gear decisions are always changing, always nuanced and always adapted to bring the highest level of comfort, safety and chances for success. I’m super calculated with every piece of gear I bring out there because without good gear, this project wouldn’t be possible.” Cody and Nick Russell making camp during their approach to Mt Stimson. Pic Cred: Bjarne Salen One unsung item that Cody has worn up and down all of his Fifty lines, is a Lightweight Le Bent Baselayer. "Layering is everything because one of the most important aspect of big backcountry missions is temperature management." Said Cody. “I’ve found with base layers, the combo of wool and synthetic, like the Le Bent Merino & Bamboo Rayon blend provides a perfect blend of maintaining warmth and being dry” “You’re constantly going back and forth between the heat built up from physical exertion and the cold that the environment you’re in brings. So, maintaining your temperature is essential to staying dry and a comfortable temp.” Cody tours in the Men's Core 200 Crew baselayer top and bottoms. Pic cred: Ming Poon & Bjarne Salen Episodes from season 3 of The Fifty Project will be dropping fortnightly, with some bonus surprises in between as we head full steam into winter. Stay up to date by following Lé Bent on Instagram and Facebook and be the first to know about new releases. As for Cody, he’ll be bushwhacking his way into winter and more lines on his journey to ski all 50 classics! Stay tuned. Check out the socks that have taken Cody up every single line of the Fifty...
Read more
LÉ BENT WELCOMES XAVIER DE LE RUE TO THE TEAM
The acronym G.O.A.T gets thrown around a lot in professional sports. So, perhaps adding the word ‘Mountain’ as a prefix more accurately represents what Xavier De Le Rue is to modern professional snowboarding. A 3 x Freeride World Tour champion and 4 x World Boardercross Champion, Xavier has seen, and probably ridden, it all. Xavier joins Pro Team riders Cody Townsend, Sammy Carlson and Elyse Saugstad and will be flying the Lé Bent boarder flag from the highest peaks. From the Kuril Islands to Antarctica, Vanuatu to Svalbard and Spain, Le Rue arrives at Le Bent HQ with plenty of stories from his many years spent in snowboard boots. “I tried the Lé Bent products for the first-time last year and was super impressed by the quality,” said Xavier. “I saw what my buddy Cody was doing with the guys and wanted to join in!” “We had the idea to make a splitboarding / snowboard specific sock that really fits my riding which I found very appealing.” Taking learnings from the existing Pro Series Socks, Xavier’s snowboard sock which is currently in the final testing stage (you can stay up to date on its development here), will see some unique snowboard specific considerations to ensure a sock, according to Xavier, “without any pressure points where all the binding straps apply pressure.” “I like a sock that is not too thin for touring and with a padding that is different from skiing.” Now making his home in Verbier, Xavier knows the ins and outs of more European big mountain lines than most. However, his exploits have taken him all the way to the poles. When asked where the wildest place his board has taken him? "Antarctica is definitely the one," he says. "5 days in a heavy metal boat, riding through the roughest seas on the planet, and at the end of it, the most magical and powerful mountain environment that I have had the chance to witness." Closer to home, "When I want to go more wild , Chamonix offers a pretty unique access to high alpine mega runs and that is quite special as well." It's also not far from where Le Bent co-founders Simon and Anthony cut their teeth fitting ski boots for over a decade in Val-d'Isère. With such an incredibly rounded snowboarding CV, we asked Xavier what he was most proud of in his career to date — Was it his 3rd FWT world title in a row? An epic first descent in Antarctica? Or being a four time winner of the Verbier Xtreme? His answer actually surprised us, and speaks to his humble reverence for nature and the lines he's ridden. “I think that all the ice riding shots we did for a while are quite a good memory for me as it really launched a new window of runs in the high alpine. I have always tried to think outside of the box and try new things to broaden our spectrum as snowboarders and I am proud to have influenced the sport in that way.” - Xavier De Le Rue Nowadays, Xavier's mission extends beyond riding the steepest, iciest lines — although he's still doing plenty of that too — into the realm of sustainability, within and beyond snowboarding. Having recently attended COP26, Xavier is focused on working with brands to lessen their environmental impact, something we're welcoming from him here at Lé Bent. “I am really trying to influence as much as I can my partners to gradually shift the production of all the products towards a more sustainable version.” “After 22 years of amazing opportunities through snowboarding, my goal now is to pass on my knowledge, in order to inspire others to get out there and enjoy their own adventures.” That goal starts with Lé Bent helping snowboarders find a better fit, so they can take their riding to new heights. Stay up to date as we unveil our new creation with XV here.
Read more
Michael Wirth's Mission To Ski The 59 peaks above 13,000 Feet In The Elks
A recent addition to the team, Michael Wirth is a 23yo ski mountaineer from Aspen, Colorado. Michael had an epic goal last season, and we wanted to tell you about it, but we didn't even know how to put the feat into words. Instead, we thought it should come straight from the horses (or Elk's) mouth. The below was written by Michael. Expect plenty more to come from him. The Beauty and Challenge of Ski Mountaineering in the Elks by Michael Wirth In embarking on a challenge, one that tries all facets of your mental and physical fortitude, you discover a new world within yourself. That is, a sensation of transcendental connection to the world around you. My name is Michael Wirth, I’m a 23-year-old ski mountaineer from Aspen, CO. I just finished a project where I became the first person to climb and ski from the summits of all 59 peaks above 13,000’ in the Elk Mountain Range of Colorado. I did this in 61 days. I’m here to share a glimpse into the challenges and beauty of this journey. Throughout this project and over the years, I’ve found myself falling deeper in love with ski mountaineering: primarily because this sport never ceases to challenge you further – on both mental and physical levels. The most obvious challenge ski mountaineers confront comes with moving in technical and exposed terrain. The difficulty here comes with building a level of mental comfort and physical confidence to make critical moves when the consequence could mean death. Plain and simple: big mountains, ice, and cliffs are hard to move through. Micheal nearing an unnamed summit after another early start. The other challenges that confronted me throughout my project, and the ones I believe to be the greatest challenges, were fatigue and planning. Let’s start with fatigue: to ski off the summit of a remote and steep peak means starting your journey in the middle of the night. In the spring conditions of Colorado ski mountaineering, you must start early to avoid having the sun warm a slope and cause a wet slide avalanche. So, your alarm clock goes off at 2am, you roll out of bed, slam down an espresso and force some oatmeal in. Your body doesn’t want to be awake at this time, and it certainly doesn’t want to digest any food. You remind yourself that you’ll need this energy and that your efforts will be rewarded by the unparalleled beauty of a snow-covered alpine landscape. Doing this a few, or even ten, times in a season isn’t all that bad because a nap awaits you after your trying yet rewarding climb and ski. However, for my project, I didn’t take a nap once. After I finished an objective, my attention immediately turned to the next. In the remaining hours of the day, I was busy driving to the next trailhead, drying out my gear, laying out the food I needed for the next day, and eating what I could in order to stay nourished for the many remaining peaks. Then, you try to go to bed before 8pm to wake up again at 2am and do it all over. For roughly the first 30 summits, this was brutal. My body was resisting falling into a rhythm of waking up in the middle of the night. Consequently, many of those days were fueled by reminding myself: you get to ski, you get to be in the alpine, you get to be in one of the most beautiful places on planet earth. That worked. I moved through the darkness of a forest every early morning waiting for the first light of the day to welcome me. When it did, I never wanted to be anywhere else. Sunrise over the Elks is a small reward for those Alpine starts. Once I reached the halfway mark of the project, I fell into a rhythm. The fatigue was never gone, nor was the confusion of eating breakfast around midnight. But, my body started to harmonize with my mind’s desire to journey into the alpine every day. At this point, things were flowing. I was pretty much in a flow state for an entire month. My routine had been dialed; I reached a point of deep connection and understanding of the Elk Range’s geography and snow conditions that I’d never experienced before; I knew what I had to do to finish the project and my body was trained to follow that desire at an unconscious level. Every part of my being was dedicated and working together to fulfill this dream. Let’s back up for a moment. I mentioned that planning was the other great challenge of this project. The 13,000’ summits in the Elk Range are rarely traveled in both the summer and winter. That means there is very little beta (information about routes previously completed) on these peaks. Within the Elk Range, there are 52 13,000’ summits: only around ten of them had information available on winter climbing and ski descent routes. Consequently, mapping out how to ski off the summits of all 52 peaks became a puzzle. About four months prior to actually setting off to ski the first mountain, I was in heavy information collecting mode. I started off by compiling a list of all the 13,000’ peaks then plotting them onto maps. Here is my first complete map of all 52 summits. Don’t worry, I didn’t just use a paper map as some sort of hipster statement. I think there is something extremely valuable to visualizing a landscape by scratching it up with a pen rather than with a computer cursor. Furthermore, the landscape is set, there’s no zooming in and out or changing axis, thus you get a sense for the absolute layout of a place with a fixed paper map. After getting this initial layout of the Elks etched in my mind, I switched over to using our space-age tech of Caltopo and FATMAP. First, I used FATMAP’s elevation gradient to ensure that I hadn’t missed any 13,000’ summits in the range. Then, I categorized the peaks by their prominent drainage so that I could more easily sort through the sheer number of them. This type of categorization proved to be quite useful later on in the project, as I was prioritizing certain areas of the range depending on how well snow was holding there. Then it came time to start the project. The anticipation was big, particularly because I had spent a lot of time mapping peaks, studying snow forecasts, and performing snow column tests around the areas where I’d be skiing. I was nervous because we had a particularly unstable snowpack this year throughout Colorado, and especially in the Elks. However, the warming temperatures of spring always end up settling the snowpack: it’s just a game of being too early–especially when you’re trying to ski so many peaks in one season. The only way to answer your questions about the snowpack and which lines go or don’t is to head out and assess the conditions with your own eyes. So, I started off by climbing and skiing some summits that were more straightforward: that’s when the true mapping and planning began. Each time I reached a summit, I’d take a panoramic view, note the neighboring 13,000’ summits and scribe some quick notes to myself about prospective ascent and descent routes. This process continued throughout the entire project: I’d continuously get slightly different views of peaks I had yet to ski as I stood on the summits of their neighbors. Then, it just came time to trust what I’d seen, have confidence in my observations about the snowpack, and go ski that line that no one had ever written about and possibly never skied before. It may sound a bit like I was just going for it on those unknown peaks. However, that was never the case. I completed six first descents throughout the two months. For each of those lines, I scoped them from at least three different mountain tops–noting the cruxes, the steep sections, the entrance, and the exit. All of it was very planned. All of it was a collaboration of spending two months fully immersed in the mountains. All of it was a result of listening to my surroundings. The project concluded when I'd skied all 52 13,000’ peaks and seven 14,000’ Elk Range mountains from their summits. That last day was hard. I’d just experienced the most challenging and also most beautiful two months of my life. When you wake up at 2am every day for two months and venture into the alpine, you’re met with the most beautiful moments the world has to offer. The snow-covered mountains turn to the softest blue with the first light of the day. Then, they begin to glow with that unmistakable alpine orange. In those moments, your tiredness disappears, you become overwhelmed with an appreciation for the world at large, and you feel alive. This project meant so much to me, as the Elk Range is home to the wilderness and mountains that I explored throughout my childhood. It feels amazing to have taken this opportunity to turn off the well-traveled path, to explore something new, to experience something like no one has before. I can now say I’m an explorer and I’ve explored something in a deeper way than anyone has before.
Read more
WATCH 'DOLLAR SHORT' SKI FILM HERE + BTS CHAT TO CREATORS!
DOLLAR SHORT IS LIVE! Before we get into the making of, nitty gritty, BTS with the brain trust behind the picture, catch the full 12-minute flick featuring pillow lines, backcountry booters and bank robberies below!!! Boom! If that doesn't get you excited for winter, nothing will. Wondering how they came up with such a concept and what in fact goes into executing a project like this - all while Covid is knocking on the northern Hemi's doorstep? We were too. Below, hear from the creators Caleb Chicoine and Alex D'Agostino, directors and masterminds from Benshicreative as well as Le Bent team riders Parkin Costain and Jake Hopfinger. Jake Hopfinger presumably admiring his handiwork. Photo: Jonathan Finch Caleb Chicoine (director): Thinking about how this film came to fruition is pretty funny to reflect on. During the summer of 2019 Alex and I we’re both working as editors at TGR in Jackson Hole. We were fresh off releasing our first ski series “Before Tomorrow” the winter prior. That project was what really kicked off Benshi, but we felt like it was just a small taste of what we wanted to do and what the Benshi crew was capable of.We started a really strong relationship with Jake Hopfinger with Before Tomorrow and knew we wanted to all work together again the next winter, and on one of our last days shooting that project we linked up with Parkin Costain. We all hit it off instantly and started scheming the next film. All aboard the company car/metal steed. Photo: Jonathan Finch Since Alex and I were living in Jackson Hole, Jake was in Bozeman, and Parkin was in Whitefish, we would have daily facetime group calls to brainstorm film ideas. We knew we wanted to make something that wasn’t just action ski porn, and was able to integrate a story into a ski film without beating it over people's heads.Lots of bad ideas came out of these facetime sessions (mostly by me…). When we would talk about coming up with ideas, we played with the concept of creating a totally random scenario and saying “what would happen if... “ and seeing where that would take us. Jokingly as an example, someone (I don’t remember who) said “What if we robbed a bank”.We all laughed and thought that was a ridiculous idea and a funny joke. As we bounced around a bunch of other ideas over the next few weeks, we eventually circled back to this joke idea and just said “Screw it, what would happen if two skiers robbed a bank?” Haha... Two skiers walk into a 7/11, a bar, a bank... Photo: Jonathan Finch After that summer Alex and I moved back to Bozeman and we started to really pick this idea apart with the whole crew. We just kept playing off of the “what if” idea and let it roll, and eventually we came up with what you see in the film. I couldn’t be more grateful for this crew and all the hard work everyone dedicated to making this happen and for all of our sponsors. I feel like this is still just 5% of the way to where we want to take things as a crew and am psyched to get to work on the next one. Alex D'Agostino (director): As a kid growing up on the east coast I remember watching all the big ski films and thinking: Wow, I’m never going to be able to do things and go to the places these guys are going. Even though I now have been lucky enough to experience those once far off dreams, those childhood thoughts still resonate with me. Caleb and I wanted to make a film that touches on that idea. Sure nice sleds and big trucks are epic, but the true heart of skiing is just going out with your friends whenever and however you can. This film was a blast to make - it was hilarious making two pro skiers act for us all year. The Benshi crew is just getting started - we are incredibly excited for what’s next! Alex on the tools. Photo: Jonathan Finch Parkin Costain: What a season last year was! I was more eager than ever to be more involved in the ski industry. Just a few years ago I would have never guessed that goal would lead me to help create a short ski film as part of the Benshi Crew. I’ve continued to embrace my ever growing urge to never have a real job and last season was the logical next step in that direction. Parkin repping our lightweight balaclava for heavyweight pillow domination. Photo: Jonathan Finch While navigating the Covid ridden season, the crew and I were able to continue production all the way up until March when the whole world went into lockdown. Before this I was able to win the Kings and Queens of Corbet’s, score a segment with Warren Miller Entertainment and continue on with the everflowing good times with the Benshi crew. So much went down last season but by far the most gratifying and rewarding moments were spent with our tight knit team scouting and shredding lines in the backcountry. I couldn’t be more stoked on forming such a strong relationship with the team. Our minds are turning for the upcoming season and I can’t wait to show the world what we’re scheming. Parkin prepping to drop... Off what, we ain't sure. Photo: Jonathan Finch Jake Hopfinger: Ever seen two backcountry skiers rob a bank? We did - kinda… The fall before shooting this project was spent with many hours on the phone brainstorming concepts for a backcountry skiing short film with a strong narrative backbone. Something that would bring a fresh tone to ski industry media. “Dollar Short” is certainly something unique that I hope people will appreciate. Jake Hopfinger minding the gap. Photo: Jonathan Finch Being the second season with the Benshi Creative crew, I had some high expectations for my personal skiing. With such a strong crew, it allowed me to really focus on my task at hand: ski hard and stay healthy. Luckily that is how it played out, which made for one of the best seasons of my life. We are all really psyched with how “Dollar Short” turned out. We hope everyone will keep an eye on our crew for what’s to come in the future! Can we be in the next one boys? Looks like a bloody good time! Photo: Jonathan Finch
Read more
Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance joins the family!
LE BENT is stoked to be an Official Bronze Sponsor for the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance and excited to support Canada's passionate ski instructing community. Founded in 1938, the CSIA is the professional ski teaching body in Canada. It is a federally recognized teaching institution and it trains and certifies Ski Instructors to best serve its partners such as Snow Schools and the Canadian Skiing Public. "We’re very excited to collaborate with LE BENT and proudly welcome them to the CSIA for 2020-2021!", said Jon Tischuk, Directing of Marketing for the CSIA. In addition to training Canada's instructing community and supporting the skiing public, the CSIA together with nations from around the world participates in Interski every four years. Inter...what you say? Interski showcases the best instructors on snow from each country; and indoors through lectures and presentations. It offers a valuable opportunity to share technical skiing innovations, and compare the Canadian Teaching System with educational approaches of other countries. Did we mention there's some cool synchro-skiing?! Well, if that's not your jam this skiing by Canadian Interski Demonstration Team member Casey Bouius might be, check it out below. For more information on the CSIA visit snowpro.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Top Photo Cred: John Evely
Read more
WHAT'S COOKING WITH LUCY BARTHOLOMEW? - Q&A
What does an ultrarunner do when only allowed outside for 1 hour of exercise per day? That’s barely enough time to get a light warm-up in, let alone delete a few dozen kilometres of trail! But team member Lucy Bartholomew put this not-so hypothetical to the test these last few months under a Covid lockdown in Australia. What did she discover? Well, when life gives Lucy lemons, she makes lemonade! …and a bunch of other tasty treats, all of which can be found in her brand-new cookbook! Wait what?! Lucy in the kitchen of the athlete house before the Western States 100mile run, 2019. Photo: Max Romey/Salomon Running Hey Luc! It’s been a wild few months since we last caught up for a chat. How have you been managing life in Victoria (AUS) with all the restrictions due to Covid? Hello! Time seems to be going slowly yet also speedy this year! Lockdown life feels like déjà vu but it’s not all that bad with my dad and puppy as company, small projects to keep me entertained and training it feels like rise, run, rinse, refuel, repeat is my days and i have enjoyed the simplicity of that. Have you found that you’ve been able to adapt your routine considering the amount of time you normally spend on the trail? I have, and at first I tried to fight it and didn’t like being ‘stuck’ somewhere and told what I can and can’t do but once I embraced it, it has added a new flavour to training and another surge of motivation which is really cool. The change in pace seems to have paid off with you being able to focus energy on your awesome new cookbook. Congratulations on the release! Did the extra time at home help you add the title ‘author’ to your already impressive CV? Thank you! Yes! This cookbook has been 4-5 years in the making as I have always had a bank of recipes and been asked so many times to put them all together but with the less training and lots of time in one place and with a kitchen I made it my focus. I was very lucky to have it keeping me busy (and full!) There are too many delicious plates to pick from in here and it’s hard not to drool on my notepad as I write this question… I’m sure you find it just as hard to pick, but do you have any favourites or regular go-to recipes? I feel quite the same but for me the simple recipes of smoothie bowls and granola have always been in my life and made me smile. What I like most about the recipes in the book is that one recipe can turn into 3-4 others with leftovers. That was something I really wanted was to give life to recipes time and time again. Our crew is always inspired by the efforts you put into healthy living and eating. What would you say your motivations are to maintain a healthy diet? I know that I feel best when i eat well and for sure it affects my training and lifestyle I try to lead as an athlete. It doesn’t really feel like effort to me and I think when people see the recipes, they start to understand that it really can be quite simple! A cross-section of the healthy delicacies you can expect to find in Lucy's book. Did this help inspire you to share your delicious creations with the world? Certainly. I feel very lucky to have spare time in my day to slice my apples finely and fan them around the edge of my smoothie bowl but I wanted to share that that’s not the important thing and you can share the same meals simple, sustainably and also quite cheaply! We’re loving the new cookbook and it’s stepped up the game from our ‘dummies guide to cooking’. Where can one pick up the new book? At the moment is available as an ebook on my website HERE The plan is to try and have some hard copies for Christmas but there is no guarantees! As the life’s become more localised and events have been cancelled or postponed, have you any new goals you’re working towards? Any more new titles you’ll be adding to your resume? (Don’t feel you need to answer this if you don’t want to) This time has definitely opened my eyes to learning more and expanding more on the things that make me passionate. I want to work more on the environment and spreading understanding and awareness of this! I also have some fun projects that will capture my home land of Australia rather than just pinning to get on metal bird so quickly. Thanks a bunch for taking the time to catch up and share your journey over the past few months. Can’t wait to catch you out on the trails once the boarders open back up! Thanks team. It’s been quite the ride but I know that it’s just getting started and controlling the things you can control is what I chose to focus on- like what you eat! Lucy getting out of the kitchen for her allotted exercise. With meals and trails like hers you'll also be feeling excellent. Photo: Lucy Bartholomew Download Lucy's E-Book HERE Check out the collaborative designed Le Lucy sock HERE
Read more
AN ODE TO BASELAYERS - NOT A BASIC PIECE OF THE LAYERING PIE
Picture this: you've scored first chair of the day and there's 45cm of blower pow on the ground. Your chair crests the ridge-line and you feel an icy cold blast of deep Antarctic wind. You tuck your chin a little deeper into your face mask; you know what storm skiing is all about and your layering game is as refined as they come, the product of years of hard earned lessons and cotton filled mistakes. You skate a couple steps and ski toward the next chair as you steal a glance to your left; all those suckers inside, you know what they got wrong? Their thermals. Getting your base layers wrong can be one of the most uncomfortable, and even most dangerous mistakes you can make in the mountains. If you're not prepared for what the weather will be doing, then you’re not prepared for anything. So with all manner of options on the market, what makes the perfect set of thermal underwear? LÉ BENT are unique in this space as we offer a unique merino and bamboo blend that allows us to offer a silky soft hand feel that keeps our customers coming back for more and keeps you on the chair or skin track when others can’t hack it. How do we do it? Well, we ask ourselves some key questions and set our goals on delivering the most comfortable, durable and performance-orientated answers possible... What Material Is Best? When deciding on the perfect set of men’s, women’s or kid’s base layers you have two options: synthetic or natural. Synthetic base layers are generally spun with a variant of thermoplastic polymers that will work to keep you warm, but who wants to wrap themselves in plastic, right? And often they tend to stink before the day is out. Natural thermal fibres have traditionally been spun with merino wool. If it’s good enough to keep a sheep warm, then it’s good enough for humans. So, what’s the catch? Scratch. While merino wools are the perfect insulator, they’re not the perfect fabric to have pressed against your skin for twelve hours a day. So the question arises: what’s the perfect fibre? Honed over years of research and development and a collaboration with Australia's peak scientific body (CSIRO), we unpacked on a simple idea to combine the benefits and sustainability of bamboo rayon fibre with the warmth and durability of merino. The result? The highest quality, comfort and performance you can expect from any other material. An on skin layer and a layer of skins. Our 200gm Le Base Lightweight Crew Top. On paper, it’s an unlikely romance - merino and bamboo. Although the latter is technically a grass, and therefore beloved by the former… What makes the two materials so compatible is their differences. Individually rayon from bamboo and merino wool are world-class materials, but combined, they form a bespoke yarn that redefines what we thought was possible in a fabric. As the thermal will be the closest to your skin, the advanced wicking properties of the merino and bamboo blend ensure that moisture is worked quickly through your layers, keeping you both warm and dry with no odour build up or stink. The bamboo ensures the fabric feels nice and soft on the skin with no irritation, no itch. How easy is it to get your choice of material wrong? Earlier on in the article we alluded to some hard-earned lessons in the layering game. We thought we’d highlight them here so you can learn the easy way - if you haven’t already made the same mistakes we and many other snow-goers once made. Cotton: trite as it is to say, but cotton is not at home in the mountains. Layers keep one warm by trapping warm air next to the skin. While cotton does this to some capacity, when it gets wet, those air pockets become water pockets and cotton will stay soggy - or frozen, depending on where you find yourself - until you head back inside. A fun fact for the skin trail... cotton can absorb around 20 times its own weight in water. Synthetics: While not as abhorrent in the mountains as cotton, synthetics - of which there are many - aren’t an ideal substitute either. While better at wicking moisture, synthetics aren't as successful as merino at suppressing odours. Some manufacturers might attempt to solve this with an anti-microbial coating, but these tend to fall well short of mother nature's solution in the lanolin wax within merino. au naturel. No cotton or synthetics in sight on these base layers. What Fabric Weight Do I Need? The final consideration is weight. As you’ll be aware, varying conditions call for varying levels of insulation, and getting it right starts at the base. That is, the base of your layering, and the base of the mountain. Lightweight to midweight, Le Bent offer two options: a 200gm or 260gm variant – 200 for milder conditions – think Australian winters, or spring skiing overseas – and 260 for when it’s really blowing from the Arctic – think mid-winter in the Rockies, Europe or Japan. Of course these suggestions are subject to personal preference and the level of exertion you expect to be doing in your base layers. For those on the skin track all day, we suggest opting for the lighter 200gm blend, whereas if you’re riding cold chairlifts all day you might want a little more insurance and insulation. The right fit? No matter what weight you choose, you’ll barely notice it’s there thanks to our semi performance fit. We believe thermals should fit like a glove, not necessarily squeeze the life out of you by being skin tight. Our fit is designed specifically for activity and insulation in the mountains. It just so happens that it also looks at ease on an après deck. Cheers to a day made better with the right layers! At Le Bent we call it our Signature Blend and the quality of finish is immediately noticeable. It’s a unique combination of Mother Nature’s finest attributes – the growth, sustainability and softness of bamboo combined with merino, the finest natural insulator known to mankind. It’s not rocket science, it’s simply the result of years of research and design, innovation and a deep-rooted love of the mountains. No matter if you’re a skier, snowboarder, man, woman or child, Le Bent has a perfect set of men’s women’s and kid’s base layers for you. Let us take care of comfort, so you can focus on having a good time. Le blend benefits: NO ITCH Naturally smoother and rounder fibres for itch-free comfort. IDEAL TEMP Warm in the cold and cool in the heat. DRY Naturally moves sweat away from the skin leaving you feeling drier for longer. NO STINK Helps control odour producing bacteria. UV 50+ Keeps you covered from the sun's harmful rays.
Read more
BEHIND THE SCENES OF #LESENDDOWNUNDER WITH CODY TOWNSEND
This time last year we were getting ready to welcome Cody Townsend and Elyse Saugstad on the tarmac at Sydney Airport. Since we're a far cry away from that happening this year, we thought we'd look back on what ended up being one of the best weeks of snow Australia has seen in years. Particularly our day riding with the resident groms of Thredbo resort. Why rider's of such esteem as Cody Townsend (2019 Powder Poll male skier of the year) and Elyse Saugstad (2019 Powder Poll female skier of the year (second place)) would grace the Australian alps was a question on a lot of peoples minds. Well, we invited - or rather goaded - Cody and Elyse to come down under and sample some 'real skiing'. The 'best mountains in the world' we said, and they took the bait. Cody Townsend finding a home among the gum trees out the back of Thredbo Resort. While best mountains in the world may have been a stretch, they sure got the best powder of anywhere in the world during their week here. Photo: Matt Wiseman Cody dipping his toe into his signature Le Send sock, the catalyst for his trip down under. Photo: Jake McBride From skinning over sheet ice up to the top of Kozi on the first day of #lesenddownunder to 120cm falling in the next three days, the duo sampled all Australia had to offer, and then some, while putting the world's first backcountry sock - the Le Send - through its final round of product testing. "I figured it would be a bit like the East Coast, US." said Cody. "Small mountains, a little bit of snow here and there. But we don't see many photos of Australian skiing in the US , so I didn't really know. We showed up, and were like 'yeah, smaller mountains, not that much snow...' And then, when we got so much snow, I was blown away by how fun the mountain was. There's little terrain hits everywhere. We ended up skiing with the Thredbo Mountain Academy kids, and blasting off every little thing in sight. I was like, "this is honestly more fun than some of the places I've skied back East because of the terrain and playful features. It was a blast." Thredbo Mountain Academy meeting Cody and Elyse. Photo: Matt Wiseman Scoping out some hits. Safe to say froth levels were through the roof and one of the biggest culprits was Cody himself. Photo: Matt Wiseman Post pole whack, pre team send. Photo: Jake McBride Cody and Elyse gave a Q&A and talked about the perks and perils of pro skiing after the Mountain Academy kids showed them the ins and outs of Thredbo. A hot topic was avalanche safety in Oz and upskilling in the mountains. Photo: Matt Wiseman After shredding with the groms all day, Cody then sat down with longtime Thredbo local and editor of Chillfactor Magazine Reggae Elliss to talk all things skiing, socks and what he thought of the terrain down under. When asked by Reggae how he had come to join the Le Bent bandwagon, he said, "It was funny, I got an email out of the blue from Simon (Le Bent co-founder) and I've gotten tonnes of emails from small companies... It's hard for them to ask and it's hard for me because product doesn't pay my bills. But I liked something about what they were doing. So I said hey, I will join the team if you make this particular sock. "I've got this idea for the sock. I've had it in my head for a number of years and no one will make it." I had been telling people, telling other companies, please make this ski touring specific sock. So Le Bent did. I was in." Since then, Le Bent's been working on a second generation Le Send sock with Cody. Elyse has also officially joined the program and has a women's specific Le Send sock set to hit stores and the skin track later this year... so keep your eyes peeled. You can catch the full interview between Cody and Reggae below! To read it in print head to https://www.chillfactor.com Chillfactor Podcast · Cody Townsend Podcast
Read more
