CRACKING NUTS & SHREDDING POW

CRACKING NUTS & SHREDDING POW
Benchetler and Team Atomic Check In From New Zealand

Words and Photos: Chris Benchetler

Currently, I am south of the equator in New Zealand with a few members of the Atomic Freeride Team, behind the scene guru’s, and a few photographers. The crew consists of Daron Rahlves, Bene Myer, Eva Patscheider, Michelle Rahlves, Martin Steinbach, Jordan Judd, Tim Pierce, Dan Carr, and myself. And the goal is to create the 2010-11 catalog for all the new and improved Atomic gear.

We started the trip off with the most interesting lift system to date. Its name is the NutCracker, and I’ll be honest, the chairlift was the best invention to happen to skiing. Hell, even the t-bar blows this thing out of the water. The Nut Cracker is a rope tow moving at high velocity speeds with pulley wheels that eat limbs and digits on the regular. You have to wear a belt with a metal device attached (looks almost like a walnut cracker) around your waist and are required to grab the rope, burn through your gloves, fling your cracker over and clamp down, all before having your fingers engulfed by the first pulley. The old “Nut Buster” and I didn’t get along very well, but in due time I managed to make it up the hill and “get amongst it” as they (our good friends the Kiwi’s) say.

Once we “cracked” the code for the lift system, there were some really sick days at both Craigieburn and Broken River Club fields, two “club” ski fields on the South Island about an hour or so from Christchurch. The first day was perfect blue bird along with a fresh coat of dry cold powder. We were all fresh off the jet and got to walk straight into perfect mid-winter conditions. With that in mind, excitement levels were high and shots for the new Atomic catalog were being stuffed in the bag. The next few days were a little more hectic in terms of weather. For example, gale-force winds stuck us in the mid-way lodge because they had to close a lift system that isn’t even suspended off the ground.

All in all we couldn’t have asked for a better trip to the clubbies. No digits were lost; we got to shred sick pow; and we all have new memories to share when we are old and wise. It’s off to Wanaka now to go ski Cardrona with the Wells bros., shoot more pics, and hopefully log a surf hour or two on the way.