passion

Tuxedo Touring - Antarctica Style

Tuxedo Touring - Antarctica Style

It’s hard to put into words the sights, sounds, thoughts, thrills, and feelings, that have overcome me on my recent ski touring adventure to Antarctica- the world’s last uninhabited true wilderness, but here it goes.

When I was 19, I embarked on my first ski trip to a continent outside of my home country of Australia. I ventured north to ski at Whistler in British Columbia, Canada for a few weeks during my university summer holidays. The trip was a huge adventure in every way, opening my eyes to big resort skiing, sharing the mountain with other soul skiers, experiencing Canadian culture, and discovering my one true love- powder skiing.

Meet Mono-Man

Meet Mono-Man

In my last blog, I wrote about the various legends I’ve met around Squaw Valley. I wrote about all sorts of interesting, and rad skiers and boarders I’ve met.

Well there was someone I failed to mention, because I didn’t know he existed, and as it turns out- he’s not a skier or a boarder. To think I had to travel to Alaska to meet one more Squaw ‘Legend’.

All Work and No Play...

All Work and No Play...

All work and no play makes Jack (or Jill) a dull boy (/girl) (as the saying goes).

In the course of my day-to-day technology career as a business development professional, I meet a lot of great people all the time. It never ceases to amaze me how many of them seem to have noticed my heli ski lifestyle business from my Linked In profile. (I sometimes wonder how we survived in business before LinkedIn existed).

Initiation Ceremony

Initiation Ceremony

The next morning, as I stirred awake for another day in paradise, my first sensation was pain in every muscle in my body. My face and eyes were still puffy, just how I’d imagine a castaway from a ship wreck might be.

In my mind, whilst lying in bed, I recapped on the previous two days both in and out of the water in La Ventana. This place attracts kite boarders some of who come for months, some come from far, far away. It’s definitely a bit like a cult, a smug little in-club I thought!

Possibility!

Possibility!

As I embarked on my second day of water kite boarding with Alan and Xantos from 4elementskiteboarding, this time the wind was right in the stunning La Ventana bay. I was told by Alan (my instructor) that La Ventana was named the best kite boarding location in the world. At the top of the top 10 for consistent wind and conditions of the location (the beach orientation is perfect for downwind kiting). As I looked out to the bay, I couldn’t help but think, they might be right. It was gorgeous. Now, let Battle Day 2 begin!!

A fellow kiter in the bar in La Ventana taught me the saying ‘KBWOW’. It means ‘Kite-Board-Wind-Obstacles-Water’. And that means, these are ALL of the variables that you must continuously, consistently and eloquently manage as part of your kite boarding experience. They should have added ‘AF’- arms-feet. I.e. What I’ve become aware of in kite boarding is that, unlike skiing in which you manage activity mainly from the waist down, kiting is a four limb activity, to help you manage KBWOW. It’s really intense and I can only imagine satisfying once you can master this. No wonder so many Type-A tech executives do this sport I thought.

My Daily Dose of Plankton

My Daily Dose of Plankton

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I know I’ve written about this before in my HaylesTrails blog.

Well, today, I had my first day of waterborne kite boarding lessons in the sleepy Mexican fishing village of La Ventana on the Baja peninsula. This town gets overtaken by kite boarders and windsurfers every winter, because of its consistent winds and perfect orientation for down-winding on a kite board. It’s a paradise from every which way you look, and pleasantly un-commercial. There are very few hotels and restaurants, just a couple of bars and no tourist shops. There’s but one kite board shop, a few more kite board schools, and everything revolves around just a few places, meaning in any given week, you’re likely to run into the same kiters again and again. If you’re from the West Coast of USA or Canada, and a keen kiter, you’re likely to bump into folks from home as I did. You learn quickly the meaning of ‘Baja Time’, which is that everything pretty much shuts down by 9 or latest 10pm each night. Such is the pull of the promise of next days’ wind, and the addiction and commitment of the worshipers to the religion of kiting! All very ‘genial’, as the French would say.

Slide of a Lifetime

Slide of a Lifetime

Today, Christmas Day, 2014 is the first day of my first ever kite boarding holiday. I’ve done lessons in San Francisco before, but this is my first dedicated holiday to this new sport, which has, for years now intrigued me. And to be honest, I did it with intrepidation at the potential frustration I am going to experience trying to learn a new, sport now, and at the same time concerned for the FOMO (Fear of missing out) I’d possibly experience by not heli skiing at this time of year.

Live-aboard Scuba Adventure - Part I

Live-aboard Scuba Adventure - Part I

If you are a keen powder skier or heliskier like me, you are probably equally as adventurous in the summer time. For me, one of the summer sports I love is scuba diving. But like my skiing passion, I decided a long time ago that life is too short to waste, so I wanted to indulge in scuba diving only in the best spots around the world – the heli-skiing Canada equivalent of no less than the deepest, fluffiest powder under bluebird skies. In diving terms, it’s the clearest, bluest, warmest water, with the most abundant fish and corals, plus the chance to see big, audacious creatures like sharks, manta rays, or large turtles.

Just putting it out there..

Just putting it out there..

I am sitting on a plane, embarking on the second leg of (I am guessing), my 40th trip around the world. Today I left for a Heliski and Catski trip across British Columbia, Canada, I am hosting for Total Heliski Clients.

As we have been in the peak sales period now for Heliski and Catski Tours, I have recently been thinking about my interesting predicament as the CEO of Total Heliski, my heliski bookings and media business.

Turning Dreams into Reality

Turning Dreams into Reality

I thought the most appropriate starting point for my blog is to talk about my philosophy: Seize life, realize your dreams and create everlasting memories. It really is at the heart of my blog and my new company called Total Heliski. I came up with this sentence recently when I was trying to crystallize what I am all about? What makes me happy and drives my life? And what could I perhaps share positively with others?

It all starts with seizing life, and by that I mean to adopt a positive, unrestricted approach to life and goal setting. Without initial vision, dreams, objectives or whatever you call them, it’s impossible to achieve them, right? So, for me, Total Heliski is about helping people find out a bit more what’s out there, and what’s possible to fulfill their passion around skiing and vice versa.