Stephen Koch » snowboard instructor

Ripping Powder at Jackson Hole – Great way to celebrate the beginning of 2009!

Stephen Koch — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:33:17 +0000

This morning I was up on the early Gondola with several clients. Our original plan was to get an early tram, which when hiring a private instructor, you can pay a bit more and get early tram or gondola if tram is not opening. It is a great way to get a few untracked runs, which is what we love, as snowboarders and skiers.

The lifts I used to access angled snow all day, on the first day of 2009 – Gondola, Gondola, Thunder, Sublette, Sublette, Tram, Lunch at Four Season’s Peak Bar, Teewinot, Teewinot, Teewinot, Apres Vous.

This was my day, the pre lunch with a group of locals who like to rip powder, the post lunch with a friend of one of the local clients who is learning to snowboard. I enjoy teaching. This client had a breakthrough. She was able to link turns on steeper terrain on both heelside and toeside turns. She was struggling with toeside turns (from heels to toes). I suggested a few things…look where you want to end up, drop your toes, drive your knee (so that you can’t see your toes…but don’t look at your feet…look where you want to end up!), hips forward and a few other tidbits. She rocked it and was linking turns on the steep intermediate runs coming off of Apres Vous.

I was riding switch for the afternoon and am finally starting to feel it come on!

2008 has been a challenging year for me and many others. I am very much lookng forward to this new year and new beginnings.

No better way to start the new year than to share a wonderful quote that has inspired me for years.

“Whatever you can do, or think you can, do it now, boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it!” – Johanne Wolfgang von Goethe

Happy New Year!

Stephen Koch

Jackson Hole Gets Dumped On!

Stephen Koch — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:47:18 +0000

I woke up this morning to a foot of light density snow outside of the garage door. Driving to Mountain Athlete at 5:50 a.m. was challenging with the limited plowing that had occured at that hour.

After teaching snowboarding to a father and son team from GA in the afternoon I was able to walk on to the Tram and had my first ride in the new big red box. It was maybe half full of folks and was a treat to be whisked up the 4, 139′ to the top of Rendesvous Mountain in about 10 minutes. The snow on the nountain was exceptional, in both depth and quality (lightness). My 164 Rome Flag was much too small for the conditions, but considering I snuck this tram lap in after work and used the eqiupment that I had I was not complaining.

Teaching folks is fun and rewarding. Snowboarding has been such a wonderful gift in my lfie and I am thrilled to share it with others.

Let it snow!

Jackson Hole Rare Alpenglow

Stephen Koch — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:24:18 +0000

What a beautiful sunset there was this evening! I was driving to Teton Village, WY for a meeting as a want to be snowboard instructor. I stopped a couple of times to take pictures. This was one of the more memorable “Valley” sunsets I have had the pleasure of experiencing in a long time! The magic light of deep winter is upon us!

May you enjoy my photograph.