Ride with Chris Brown clinic

[the_real_wild1]

We went to his clinic held in Mcbride this last weekend. If you have the chance to, DO IT. Chris is a great instructor and and awesome rider. I learned a ch!t ton. Snow and weather was great and didn't see many others out there. I do believe pics are coming lol. Terracanna was great also. Going to use them again for sure.

 

[cutterguy987]

I went to the clinic in Golden first weekend of feb it was great learned so much . Now to get out and practice .It was great experience will do it again for sure.It was great to meet all the guys in clinic , every body was awesome, Thanks to Chris great rider .

 

[the_real_wild1]

Yes now the practice part. I am healing up quick from the weekend and must go riding again this weekend to practice. I just wish I could afford to go to the mountains for the next 3 months every weekend.

 

[cutterguy987]

Yes that would be in a perfect world ,Heading to Vale 21 to 24 cross my fingers hopefuly it works out .rooms booked need to put some miles on that sled . super pumped got trip booked in march at grizzly lodge can't wait.

 

[SledMamma]

We went to his clinic held in Mcbride this last weekend. If you have the chance to, DO IT. Chris is a great instructor and and awesome rider. I learned a ch!t ton. Snow and weather was great and didn't see many others out there. I do believe pics are coming lol. Terracanna was great also. Going to use them again for sure.

I am hurrying!!! There are just soooo many good ones to choose from

Once again, I had the great privilege of catching up with Chris and photographing the clinic in McBride. As usual, it did not disappoint. We had an awesome group: friendly, eager, and determined. Everyone got along beautifully on and off the hill and I am sure some lifelong friendships were formed... We even had brief appearances from Chuck Norris and Bert Reynolds Terracana Lodge was great, food was awesome and the bed was soooo comfy!!!

Anyway, some pics of Chris and his clinic-goers:

Day one dawned snowy and fogged in, but the "kids" were still all smiles:


Chris explains the how to's of slow and controlled descents while the sun tries to peak thru:


Practising in safe terrain:


Dylan learns what it takes to pull the Nytro into the hill and descend carefully:


Keith (the_real_wild_1) has got it:


Now it is time to take it into the trees and onto the bigger slopes:


My turn:


Crap! I looked at the tree

 

[SledMamma]

More:

Practice makes perfect!!


More practice required:


Beacon search and avy refresher:






Beautiful views were just the icing on the cake:

 

[SledMamma]

Day two brought bluebird and shenanigans:

 

[SledMamma]

Couple more:



Skills refresher:

 

[lilduke]

Nice pictures!

 

[QuintinG]

The clinic was a great experience and we had an awesome group to ride with. Chris is an exceptional teacher and really makes the most of it for everyone involved. Huge thanks go out to Richelle for taking the time to get lots of photos for us and also thanks to Chris for the new skills he taught us. I'll be taking this clinic again next year for sure.

 

[acres]

Had an awesome time! We will be taking the clinic again next year as well.

 

[ferniesnow]

Great shots sledmamma.......

 

[Wilk INStheWEST]

Great shots, and it's nice to see there is some snow somewhere! I went to the clinic in Golden, and had a great time as well. Looking forward to doing it again next season already. Maybe I'll have to get a trip in to Whistler in the meantime...

 

[SledMamma]

Getting a chance to photograph the Chris Brown clinic really satisfies the people watcher in me. I could sit for hours in a mall and observe the interactions between strangers and guess at their thoughts etc., so it is extremely rewarding to spend a whole weekend observing the riders at the clinic and watching their mindset and attitudes and skills change throughout the weekend. Generally there are three types of people in the crews when we start:

1. Less experienced but loving the mountains: "I hope I learn ONE thing, maybe TWO things so I can go away more confident."
2. Intermediate rider, just wants to rip and hone his/her skills.
3. More skilled, came to ride and came to "show" Chris he can ride. (Usually learns just how BIG the big boys are!!)


One of the first thing Chris teaches is the "snap" and getting the sled laid over on its side. When we pull off the trail on flat ground, everyone looks a little skeptical bcz a) "this is boring" and b) "who can't do that?" Its really funny to watch the first hot-shots get stuck on a trail-side pullout while virtually standing still, struggle with a snap and pull on flat ground, AND THEN, the rewarding part: watch as the group dynamics change and everyone gets over their 'strangerness' and fear of being watched, and realizes that some things get alot harder when you have to think about it and do a skill on someone else's terms and not your own.

In the next hour, the participants get REALLY tired working on pure skill and you start to see personality shine through and group melding happening. One of the coolest things for me to watch at the start of this weekend was Jess: every time I looked over, there she was a little apart from the group patiently working on getting her sled over on a slope. Stopping, pulling, breaking, falling off, sled falling over and then doing it and doing it and doing it AGAIN. She was ragdoll tired in the first hour, but she always had a smile and kept on it!! By the time dinner rolls around the group is like an old family with shared memories and new goals in common for the next day.

It is truly a pleasure to get to chase everyone around with a camera and document the changes from beginning to end. By day two, you really notice that seemingly overnight the skills have become more natural. People who were reluctant to get the sled waaaaay over and make a controlled descent down a decently steep slope are doing so without as much thought or effort. Come mid afternoon, even the beginners are pulling it out for the camera and the more advanced riders are hitting it hard. Throw in the perfect sun for backlight and some powder shots and this girl is the happiest photographer and people-creeper in the world I always go home tired, even though the days don't involve alot of riding for me... And I have a few new riding buddies to top it all off

 

[TylerG]

this is awesome, I love the review that SledMamma has given here, the photo's and reviews by everyone else.......

I think I know what to invest in for PowderGirl next year!

 

[the_real_wild1]

It is def worth doing. And to do it once a year sounds good to me.

 

[TylerG]

It is def worth doing. And to do it once a year sounds good to me.

what kind of price was the course?

 

[Wilk INStheWEST]

what kind of price was the course?

Total for the Golden clinic was 895. Clinics were 795, then 50/night for lodging in Golden. It may vary for different locations.

 

[GYMBRAT]

Cant wait!!!!!!!!!!! Ima ride naked

 

[Wilk INStheWEST]

Cant wait!!!!!!!!!!! Ima ride naked

Just don't play follow the leader with Chris through the trees then. He'll get you very up close and personal with them. At least he did with me, and I didn't get stuck. Chris 'almost' did though, entertaining watching him hump is sled out of a trench.