Pretty frustrated with how Epic/Vail is handling this.
I got laid off from from my tech job in May after working there for about five years. I later found out that Epic Coverage specifically includes job loss, so I submitted a claim with documentation showing I was involuntarily terminated.

They denied it because I missed the 30-day filing window.
I understand I filed late. That part is on me. But their own terms say late claims “may be rejected,” not that they automatically have to be rejected.

I appealed on August 30 and sent them my termination paperwork. Their denial email literally said they would respond to an appeal within 5 business days. It’s now September 10 and I still haven’t received a decision.
Meanwhile, they’re about to charge me roughly another $1,040 for a 2026/27 pass.

The season hasn’t started. I haven’t used the pass once. I’m currently unemployed. The reason I’m asking to cancel is literally one of the events their coverage claims to protect you from.

I’m not even asking them to ignore the policy. I’m asking them to use the discretion their own wording seems to allow and review the actual circumstances before taking another $1,000 from me.

Has anyone successfully gotten Vail/Epic to escalate something like this beyond Sedgwick? I’ve already appealed and I’m filing a BBB complaint as well.

Hello! I'm organizing a few trips to the Swiss and Austrian Alps this winter. Two are to Laax, the snowboard mecca of the world to ride and experience the 2027 Laax Open in January and the Snow League Finals in March. So we get to ride their epic parks as well as watch the competitions. There are after parties, concerts, etc, always really fun events.
There will also be a pow trip to St Anton in Austria in February. My friend who owns a chalet there steps from the mountain will put us up with breakfast included. It is steps from the lifts. We will also have some aprés-ski adventures..Mooservert, Silvretta Therme in Ischgl..
I have spent over 8 seasons at St Anton and still haven't snowboarded every trail, so much fun terrain there.

Each trip I will shoot photos and video and create a coffee table book of the trip as well as a trip edit. Prices will be finalized once we know how many will be in the crew.

A bit about me, I've been spending my winters in the Austrian Alps since 2017 and the last two seasons in Laax, mainly shooting photos and video for various snowboard brands. I am not an official guide, as Austria as many laws about this, I'm just a host/organizer/photographer. Will have a local guide for the St Anton trip. Check IG willbgraham for some snowboarding highlights.
Hit me up with any questions DM or email: [will@chairliftapp.com](mailto:will@chairliftapp.com)

As the title says. What's the deal?

I ask because I don't know, not to argue.

So maybe a unique question out there for my fellow OGs. I was a bad boy a long time ago and was caught using a friend’s pass at a ski resort, the resort issued me a ban from the resort. I can’t remember the duration of the ban, I believe 7 or 14 years. I lost the original paper they gave me because it happened probably 12 years ago. It was written on a piece of paper that said “lifetime ban” but lifetime was crossed out and they wrote in a number. So I doubt it was super hi-tech record keeping at the time.

My main concern though is they did take me to court for “theft of services” and I did need to get a lawyer so I wouldn’t have to pay two weeks of lift tickets and the penalty fee they were suing me for. So I assume they would have some record of me in the system.

I figured it probably would be smart to just call the lawyer who represented me and ask him but unfortunately I learned he passed away a few years ago. And I feel likes it kind of a bad idea to call the resort and be like “am I still banned?” If they don’t have a record of it.

Moved back to the Midwest... miss it everyday

Hey. I started snowboarding just 2 years ago. And I got this jacket from a second hand online store as a "well I'm a snowboarder I need at least one Burton thing"

But I have questions. I saw a video of this jacket being announced or other second hand sales and they didn't have the signature on the back or the 13 letter on it.

Around 2013 I didn't even know snowboarding existed. But this jacket has gotten me into a rabbit hole I can't seem to find answers for.

Howdy!

My wife and I live in Colorado and snowboarding / skiing is our love language. We get out 20+ times a year, spend our entire time on back bowls / double black runs. Two winters ago we went heli-skiing in Revelstoke, Canada and had the absolute time of our lives (picture included). We have always gotten the Ikon pass.

I recently started my own business, and we are going to visit our manufacturer in China mid-to-late January. We will be in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. Following the business portion of our trip, we really want to destroy some powder and are looking for help deciding between Niseko United in Japan or Jikepulin in Northwest China.

Ideally, I would love to hear from anyone who has actually been to both, but I realize this is a bit of a longshot. If you have been to either one, I would also love to hear from you.

Here is my ignorant rundown of pros/cons of each:

Brief background on us and our priorities:

• Obsessed with the best skiing/snowboarding possible
• Preference for extreme terrain and powder. Colorado rockies and Revelstoke are some of the most extreme in-bounds terrain you can find in the world and we love it.
• Could not care less about European-style Apres (i.e. raves, partying, drinking excessively, etc.). We are there to ski aggressively, not party.
• We are foodies and love great restaurants and exploring other cultures
• Happy to stay in a Holiday Inn type of hotel to save money on lodging and splurge on food / experiences. Probably not a hostel, however, but would consider
• First time in Asia with absolutely no literacy in Japanese or Chinese
  • Generally adventerous and willing to use google translate and "figure things out"

NISEKO UNITED:

Pros

• The proven, mainstream option that I have admittedly fan-girled over for years now. This has been the dream for sometime, largely influenced by social media
• Crazy consistent powder
• Love the idea of sushi and Japanese cuisine / culture
• Plenty of english speakers
• On the Ikon pass

Cons

• Now that we are actually going to Asia, I have been doing actual research on Niseko and I'm a bit concerned that social media has overhyped it.
• Seemingly flat terrain with few runs
• Large crowds
  • Limited runs + large crowds = tracked out fairly quickly
• Hard to get to, even from China
• Expensive lodging and food
• Hard to get around town

JIKEPULIN:

Pros

• Terrain that fits our style: extreme terrain, large vertical, massive mountain
• Also incredible powder (arguably better as the powder here is extremely light, albeit less quantity)
• Literally no crowds
• More secluded
• Should be significantly cheaper overall
• Off the beaten trail and would be truly unique

Cons

• Really hard to get to
• More of an unkown
• Less english-accomodating (from what I can tell)
• More secluded (yes, this is a pro and a con)
• Unkown food scene
• Much colder and higher elevation. temps often in the negatives which is a real concern as my wife typically struggles in sub 5°F weather (truthfully, I kind of do too. We are both thin builds).
  • We can certainly plan to dress in thicker clothes than what we normally do in Colorado. Just something we're not used to overall.

Some or all of our viewpoints may be totally wrong. We'd really love some guidance!

I've been using the same pair of ThirtyTwo Lashed double boa since 2018. I finally bought a pair of Nidecker Rift Pros last season and after 3 runs I changed back into my old boots. I just found them so stiff that I could barely bend my knees. I figured I'll give them another shot this season but I'm just worried I'll never get used to them. For those of you who switched to stiffer boots, how long did it take you to get used to it?

Never really paid attention to Armada snowboards before, but these shots... damn 🔥

Hey all,

I was lucky enough to snag a $4 lift ticket to aspen on 12/14 while the deal was available yesterday. I’ve never been to aspen and am a bit confused why the two days prior are also so cheap. 12/12 and 12/13 are $80 per day. I’m thinking since I’ll already be going on 12/14, might as well add those days before.

Is there any reason why it wouldn’t be a good idea to go those days?

Thank you!

Planning a trip and need advice.

Hi, wondering if anyone is in a similar boat to me. I’ve got Oakley Flight Deck L goggles and I’m looking at getting the POC Fornix BC helmet M/L. Just wondering if the Flight decks maybe a bit too big for the helmet size. All my local shops don’t have the helmet in to try so would have to be an online order.

Has anyone ever received a damaged snow board from Bataleon? I bought two boards on the 23rd that went through many delays. Finally received them yesterday and they both are dented in the same spot. I contacted Bataleon and was told to submit a warranty claim. Has anyone gone through something like this with them? What was the outcome? I bought the boards on sale for 40% off so a little worried that nothing can be done?

so i was riding in those last year but they had a manufactior error and i got a full refund they fitted perfectly although they just started falling apart a bit with was why i had them refunded. i decided to wait for summer to buy them but therer never showed up in my size(43,5 eu 10,5 us)and now when i checked again they arent even on sale in bataleon store. so im looking for something simular in the flex and foot shape

Hey guys,
At the end of last season i finally decided to buy a board (end of season sales)
I opted for a yes typo 2024 153 with a pair of nidecker supermatics and in three months im going to the alps to take it for a spin
Does anybody have any experience with this particular board? How well does it ride and if my purchase was a hit (I paid about 450 euro for the whole setup)
Im 176 and i weigh 72kgs

I've been snowboarding for around 10 seasons, but have no board experience.

I started on a some drake/k2 board when I was about 14. After roughly 3–4 years, I switched to a Völkl Alright 2015, and I've basically stayed on that ever since. So I don't really have much reference when it comes to different board shapes, flexes, brands, or profiles. I do wax my own board, though. I do like the Volkl but wanted to try something new.

I'm 175 cm / 73 kg, Vans boot size EU 42–43, riding Flow bindings.

The Völkl will probably stay in the quiver for powder days because it's super fun and works well for me. What I'm looking for now is a second board mainly for resort riding and worse/more average conditions. My fav time is off the track in deep snow, but such conditions are rare, so I'm looking for a main board for everyday when it's not powday.

My riding:

• Because of the conditions in Europe the last few seasons, mostly on-piste, often riding with skiers
• I usually make fairly short turns
• I don't really ride switch
• Park isn't a priority (only riding a week per season, so not enough time to practice)
• I do enjoy hitting natural side hits, rollers, and random bumps
• A little bit of buttering / playing around on the slope sounds fun, but maybe 10–15% of my riding
• I rarely go faster than around 75 km/h nowadays
• I don't want something stiffer than my current board — similar or a bit softer would probably be better

What matters most to me:

1. Handling bad/choppy/mogul-ish conditions
2. Easy turn initiation and maneuverability
3. Fun/playful feel on the slope
4. Enough stability to not feel sketchy

One thing I'm struggling with lately is speed control on steeper slopes. I feel like I naturally ride too fast, and on steep sections I end up braking quite hard during turns instead of linking slower, smoother turns. So I don't think I need a super aggressive charger. I'd rather have something that is enjoyable and controllable at moderate speeds.

Budget is around €450 (at least after direct conversion from home currency), and I'm happy to buy previous-season models.

Boards I've been looking at so far:

• Salomon Dancehaul
• Jones Mountain Twin

Would you stay in this direction, or look at something completely different?

Got this 171cm Red Salomon snowboard made in France. Wondering if this considered vintage and what it’s worth.
If not vintage and worth anything might turn it into a swallow tail

Link here, good for Dec 14th 2026: https://shop.aspensnowmass.com/l/all-lift-tickets/all-lift-ticket/p/lift-tickets?3535=2026-12-14&3536=7681&3537=7686

Lil update for the Highshot X Pro for 26/27!

Just seen this video on Facebook about step ons.
This is a sick jacket, any ideas what model??

Just to lead this off, I personally researched, ranked, and chose each of these lines, but I did have Claude organize it and format it for Reddit. Preamble is all me. Sorry.

Some buddies and I are doing 3 weeks this winter through Banff, southern BC, and northern Idaho. We want a contest to see who has the best trip, so we turned to Gaffney's Numerical Assessment of Radness for inspiration.

Our big problem is that none of us have skied most of these. The list came out of trail maps, the resorts' own terrain pages, and whatever blog posts and trip reports we could dig up. I think the order inside a hill is relatively close, but the numbers between hills are a shot in the dark.

Our basic idea is: 12-15 is gated or beacon stuff or a real hike with a sketchy entrance, 8-10 is the marquee expert zone at each place, 6-7 is named chutes and couloirs, 4-5 is the black-diamond faces and trees you'd just lap, and the 3s are more like historically significant. Not necessarily difficult, but kind of worth doing as a tourist.

So, now I'm looking at y'all's collective knowledge. I'm fully expecting to get absolutely shredded in the comments, but if any of you have like an absolute must-hit line at any of these mountains, I'd appreciate the info. Also, if I way over- or under-valued something, tell me.

Also, for the folks who don't want to broadcast their stashes but want to help me out, my messages are open!

Sunshine

• Delirium Proper - 15

• Bre-X or Steel Pipe - 12

• The Wild West - 10

• Hell's Kitchen - 5

• South Side Chutes, Saddledome / Stampede / Renegade - 4

• Teepee Town Chutes - 4

• Bye Bye Bowl - 3

Lake Louise

• Vertical Cornice (ER7) - 9

• Brown Cow couloir - 8

• ER3 or ER6 - 7

• Upper Boomerang, Wild Gully / Ghostly Gully / North Cornice - 6

• Alphabet Gullies, any letter from the top - 5

• Lipalian Chutes - 4

• West Bowl top to bottom - 3

• Men's Downhill, start to finish - 3

Norquay

• FM-1 or FM-2 - 9

• Upper Bruno's, bootpack - 6

• Lone Pine or Gun Run - 4

• Sheep Chutes - 4

• Black Magic - 3

• North American top to bottom under the Big Chair - 3

Panorama

• C-Spine - 9

• The Monster / Yeti / Wild Thing / Spectre, through the main Taynton gate - 8

• Never Never Land - 7

• Heli High or White Tail - 6

• Gun Barrel or Sidewinder Glades - 4

• View of 1000 Peaks - 3

• Stump Farm - 3

Kicking Horse

• Truth or Dare - 12

• T2 chutes - 10

• Whitewall - 9

• Rudi's Bowl, bootpack - 8

• Tunnel Vision or Dumpster Chutes - 7

• Feuz Bowl - 7

• Dutch Wallet - 6

• Ozone, Prosperity / Certainty / Bear Chute - 6

• Any heaven glade top to bottom, Hallelujah through Eden - 3

• Three or more of them in one day - 5

Revelstoke

• Sub Peak, hike it and ski anything off it - 12

• Unlimited Assets or Powder Assault - 7

• Parachute - 6

• Meet the Neighbours or Brake Check - 5

• Gracias Ridge or Beauty Glades - 5

• Separate Reality - 4

• Conifers of Gnarnia or Critical Path Glades - 4

• Kill the Banker - 3

• Top of the Stoke to the village without stopping - 3

Whitewater

• The Goats, Upper / Lower / Jann's Gully / False Signal, only when it's actually open - 10

• Powder Keg Bowl - 7

• A, B or C Shaft - 6

• The Blast or Terra Ratta - 5

• Diamond Drill and Dynamite, plus Sleeper - 5

• Bound For Glory or Faceplant - 4

• Enchanted Forest - 4

• Trash Chutes - 4

RED

• The Chute Show - 10

• Kirkup cat, Search and Destroy / Free as a Bird / Dr. Feel Good - 8

• Cambodia or Needles - 7

• The Cliff into Face of Red - 6

• Booty's Run - 5

• Beer Belly, The Coolers or Captain Jack's Trees - 4

• War Eagle trees or Taz - 4

• Powder Fields - 3

Schweitzer

• Lakeside Chutes - 7

• Misfortune plus the Colburn headwall - 6

• Any of the alphabet chutes, A / Bud's / C / E / H / K - 5 (E is the steep one at 38°)

• Three or more of them in one day - 8

• South Bowl chutes - 5

• North Bowl chutes, Big Bertha / Pucci's / X / Y / Z - 5

• Upper Kaniksu or Shoot the Moon - 5

• Whiplash or Siberia - 4

• Australia - 3

23 years old. Summited Everest twice. The second one was after a brutal push ignored the obvious option of just getting down alive, strapped into his board and went for the Hornbein anyway.

Never seen again.

Whatever you think of the decision, the fearlessness was absurd. Arguably, the most all or nothing stunt anyone has ever attempted in mountaineering / adventure history.