Life Acquatic

Steve Zissou is the man

the pose

Tsunami Relief via NGOs

Let's face it, it takes a certain socioeconomic and ethnic standing to be blessed with the lives we all lead. OK, damn it, what I am trying to say is, we are predominantly a bunch of white folks who are lucky and will most likely never have to face the type of widespread destruction, death, famine and disease as those impacted by the recent tsunami.dig deep and give what you can. i think this email below from a friend of mine is the best route to take: donate directly to NGOs established in that particular country that can do the most good in the shortest amount of time.


Hi ya'll,As some of you know, I worked in development in Indonesia years ago. Istill have strongties to S.E. Asia and S. Asia, and as you may guess, the tsunamis havebeen devastating formany friends and former colleagues.If you'd like to help and have been wondering how or whether yourdollars would make adifference, I'd like to offer a direct route for your gifts and alsomake an appeal forsending them to Sri Lanka because:1) if you look at death rate as a percentage of population, Sri Lankahas been hardest hitand2) in the wake of years of civil war, the country is leastwell-equipped to recover and3) due to the civil war, the politicization of aid is a real issue and4) $1 = about 3 meals of rice.So, the direct route involves donating locally: to local NGOs (non-governmentalorganizations/non-profits) as opposed to (or in addition to)international relief agencies.The world of international development is highly bureaucratic andwhile international aidorganizations will do lots of good work, it will take time. Donatinglocally will put much-needed funds directly in hands that can put them to good use more readily.Two options for local donations to Sri Lanka (tax deductible options exist):1) AFLAC: http://www.aflacinternational.com/index.html2) Sarvodaya is distinguished by its ability to distribute aid intoTamil areas controlled bythe Tamil Tigers. http://www.sarvodaya.orgFor more information, please read the letter that follows from myfriend, Paul Khoo, whogrew up in Thailand and now lives in Singapore, and from his friendand former colleague,Rashid Moosajee, of Sri Lanka. You can always give me a shout, too.Many thanks,Ashley

Epic day @ Alpine

The word is overused, but "epic" is the most appropriate word for Alpine yesterday. We rolled into the lot @ 8am, just before they closed the access road for avy control - essentially giving us an "interlodge" effect for 30 mins or so as first chair started to spin.....Summit just starting to spin, hit 2 $$ runs right off Summit (D6 Chute to Waterfall), then back up Summit for run 3 when I see they are opening the Keyhole traverse...holy smokes! I make a bee-line for Keyhole, and am the 2nd guy up and over the traverse....Keyhole is closed, patroller just sitting there grinning at me....saying "no go"...so I make the long traverse over the Saddle and up to High Yellow: now, I have been skiing Alpine for years, but have never gotten first tracks down High Yellow....it was so beautiful, perfect pitch, untouched, sparkling like sugar crystals......I wish I had a camera with me....the stupid grin on my snow plastered face must have been classic....anyhoo...first 2 turns are bottomless, just floating down the fall line, each turn blinding me, and I check my spedd to let the contrail clear out so I can line up the little cliff/roller mid way down and launch it (not big, but felt big if that makes sense, as fluid as can be...) straight lining the bottom pitch onto the groomer and right to Scott.... Scott just starting to spin: 2 untracked, super deep runs off Chute That Seldom Slides, when rumors begin to circulate that patrol was going to pop the back side for the first tiem this season....So over the Lakeview for 2 low angle tree pow runs, when we see a patroller we know: "hey. they gonna open Sherwood today".....he gets a big grin on his face and says "maybe....maybe meaning I would make plans to be back there around noon".....So we decide that an OB run on Outter Outter is in order, with a hike up the road to Sherwood afterwords....everyone is beeping....we buddy up....off we go through the ropes.....wow...Outter Outter is bottomless, perfect pitch, I ski it straight fall line I am so lost in the moment....(knowing that i should cut hard right about 3/4 down or I will end up waayy down the road) I come blasting out onto the road, my helmet and goggles caked with snow, me just laughing out loud like some maniac.....So now I have a 10 min slog up the road back to Sherwood in front of me b/c I couldn't make the cut hard right...but it was so worth it....Well, Sherwood was starting to spin for the first time this season when we got up there, and we did 2 high speed powder turns right down the face under the chair, hitting the little rock/terrain features...again, super deep, a little more wind effected back here, but super schmoove....I am starting to tire, as I had no food or coffee, I was so crazed when I rolled outta bed at 7am to make it to the mountain with no delays....So I decide to hit Arts Knob/Expert Shortcut as my last run....off Sherwood, down the track, and a short herringbone hike up the hill I am standing atop of a beautiful sight/....one track down Arts...the rest virgin....I pop the cornice off the top with a little air, hit bottomless and mach 5 turns down Arts back onto the track.....and ski straight back down to the bottom, past the kiddie area, right into the parking lot and up to my car.This was one of those days you will remember....we seemed to hit every chair just as it was opening, barely crossed another track all day, snow so deep and light, no one on the mountain, good friends to share it with....truely a day to remember.