The Season has begun....

Its has been a while since you guys have heard anything from me. I have been really busy the last couples of weeks.

I am now home from New Zealand. And I can just tell you guys it was the most epic trip of my life so far. The country, the people and the snow have been amazing to us. Everyone should go "Downunder" and check it out, it´s really hard to put in words.

Since I am home I was studying a lot so that I have most of the winter free for shredding. In the meanwhile I was in the gym getting myself in shape.

Lots of projects going to happen this season. We are going to have our movie premiere with New Zealand Project in december. First stopp is going to be Munich than Salzburg and hopefully Konstanz and Cologne. I just saw the final edit and guys for a low budget production it´s going to be epic....I promise! :D If you haven´t seen checkout the Trailer, our watch it again....just to remind everybody how much fun skiing is....

New Zealand - Where dreams come true (Trailer) from Kai Stoeckel on Vimeo.

I also met the guys from Blizzard while beeing back from New Zealand. It was super cool, I haven´t seen so determined people in a long time, I really aprrechiate their effort and passion for Freeriding. Thank you really much guys your are great. BLIZZARD is going to be big the next couples of years...the have some jokers left in their pockets you will see.... :D They also set up a little feature about me on their webpage: http://www.blizzard-ski.com/index.php?id=5#76,0,329,0,0

This weekend was the first time on snow since beeing back from NZ. Kaunertal was on, it was sonwing a little but it was a still a bit to rocky to get a real freeride feeling so that I spend some time in the park as well, but all in all a great weekend.


In two weeks I am hopefully enjoying some good B.C. powder, I am flying out to Seattle to shred some pow and get some filming done. I will upload some pics for sure than.....till than take it easy guys.....and watch out for big dumps....

peace out

Earthquake, powder and some more.....

The last week was definitely one of the interesting weeks so far. We spend some time with the Austrian crew we met in Castle Hill. Castle Hill is really close to the mountains a beautiful little town with like 40 houses. It's really famous for its Boulder rock climbing. Castle Hill is based about an hour from Christchurch and every minute drive worth.

Emi Earle has a house there, and after we meet the Austrian crew who are staying with her it didn't took long to get to know her. She is a pretty cool kiwi girl that's for sure not that she led us 4 stay as well at her house, she also makes amazing cookies. :D

All in all a really cool stay. I hope we see her again some time and can give back what she did for us. thx so much.

On Tuesday it started to dump like crazy and you guys can't even imagine how stoked we where. Ready to go out an play in the snow and shred some white powder. Mt Olympus was on....incredible powder all day hand in hand with bluebird weather...amazing.

Castle Hill in the morning of the powder day....








Mt Olympus itself :D









Fresh powder on Mt Olympus










The Austrian Crew and us with emi in the middle








On Friday we went back to Christchurch where Emi hast a beach house....ridiculous, so cool. its up the hill with an amazing view over the beach and ocean. It was the night that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was the night of the Earthquake. It was around 4.30 a.m. when some reallty started to shake under me, till I realized what was going on the quake was probblay goin on for already 10sec. and it kept going for another 10seconds. Luckly nothing happend we where all fine. Just 10 km away from us houses where really damaged and destroyed. Thanks to God that no one died.



Pictures of the Earthquake













Right now we are on the north island waiting for good weather to ride the last couples of days at Mt. Ruapehu and end the trip with the freeride world tour contest.
So stoked.... :D

Some impressions so far....

Hey guys,

its been a couple of days since I was in Wanaka. Since than we have been to Dunedin watched pinguines and I actally saw an albatross. It was pretty cool. New Zealand really rocks. After that we went back up north to ski in the clubfields were we skied Temple Basin a really cool clubfield. It was a bit of a walk to get there (45mins up the hill), but it was totally worth it.

Our base right now at Castle Hill. having breakfast in the morning....








Springfield, I found Homers real hometown..... :D












New zealand famous parrot, the Kea...really cool and evil...hahha









Powder Day in Cragieburn









Nice sunset after skiing in Mt. Olympus









Me in Treble Cone, watching down in the valley








At the westcoast, checking out the Franz Josef Glacier








Cliff drop at Temple Basin, it was really cool up there








We met an austrian crew also skiing here, pretty cool guys. We decided to ski together, and its been awesome.... :D









This is Fred, one of the coolest kiwis....we stayed at his house for a week- no problem. Thx so much fred! :D








For the last two weeks the plan is to head up to the northern island. We are going to ski Mt. Ruhapehu. Ruhapehu is a vulcano and its still activ. So I am really excited how its going to be up there.....
There is also a Big Mountain Competition were we going to start....so much more to come before i fly back home at the 13th.. :D

Stay tuned....

Eric



Photos: Kai Stoeckel

NZ Völkl Open, Freeride World Tour, 8th Place

Wow, overall an really impressive day.
Still feel a bit hangover from the afterparty, so we actually had some reason to party.

Back to the contest itself. :D Finally, after 3 days of postponing due bad weather conditions, the competion was able to be held. Snow conditions weren´t really great. A litte fresh of like 3-4cm on a really icy pack, so good edges should have been mandatory.

I am enterting as the 15th competetor in the startinglist. It finally clears up a little before I leave the startinggate. First turns in really nice snow, I try to get as much speed as I can (other competitors came to me afterwards telling me that it looked ridicoulous fast) :D

As the steep part begins I am looking for my first cliff to hit, I see it in front of me....looks bigger than i thought, but I am to fast to stopp anyways. Good drop, perfect landing, first part of the run is done. The next turns bring me into a really alpine face, only 3 people chose to ride there. End of the face brings me into an big couloir I try to sideslip it as much as I can then straight it....lots of speed into the last turns but I am able to handle it and ski safe to the bottom. My helmetcamrun is attached at the end of the text.

In the end I come 8th on a 3 star Freeride World Tour event. My final score is only 5points away from the podium, it was really tight up top. I am still happy and look forward to more freeriding.

It´s just amazing here in NZ.....more to come.

Cheers

Helmetcamrun NZ Open; Rider; Eric Zeller:

8th place - Völkl New Zealand Open, Freeride World Tour from Kai Stoeckel on Vimeo.

Trailer for our epic skimovie.....

Hey we made it....hahha just kidding. It´s not done yet, not yet. But we collected some footage from the stuff we did so far. From the looks of it our movie is going to be epic. So far we skied in Cragieburn, Roundhill, Mt. Olympus, Treble Cone and some lines where we went up with the heli.

Our cameraman Kai Stoeckel (thanks to him :D) edited in hours and hours a trailer for our epic movie project New Zealand - Where dreams come true.

I am super stoked, we are all really happy and can´t wait to get some more snow to ride some gnarly lines.


Trailer: 2010 New Zealand - Where dreams come true

Videocut by: Kai Stoeckel

World Heli Challenge 2010, 7th Place

It´s thursday, last day of competition.The alarm goes down at 6.00 a.m., everybody is super stoked, but when we arrive at 7.00 a.m. in the parking lot we are still on hold, cause there are a lot of clouds up in the mountains. An our later everything is clear and a beatuiful cometition face is presented to us. The face is pretty steep and there a lot of cliffs to hit. Unfortunately its pretty icy and no powder in sight.

I´m coming with bib number 18, I have solid run and I am happy with it. My second turn in the competition face gets the whole snowpack under me going but I am able to manage the sluff and ride it out. My next turns brings me in to the main part of the face where I picked one couloir to an open field. Big turns to the next ridge, its really icy here. :D One last drop at the end and finish. I am super stoked, the othere riders are cheering. In the end I take 7th place. I was hoping for a bit more, buts its a judgement sport and the judges liked something else more. Overall I am still happy I got the 7th place overall in a competition with the best riders in the world like Ted Davenport and Chris Booth. I filmed my run with my helmet cam check it out guys.


While the challenge were going on, I lost a bet in playing darts....here is the result of the lost bet. :D


You guys have no idea how cold the water is here in the wintertime.....




Photos: Kai Stoeckel





Helmetcam run:

Video

Video edit from 2009.

Film Locations: B.C. Canada, Austria, Swiss Alps, French Alps, Italy, USA

Check it out!