December 2009 Archive
Dec 14, 2009 · 02:06 PM
In September over on Bike Hugger, I talked about our meeting with Outlier Clothing and the preview they gave us of their goods. Well, they were nice enough to send me an Empire Merino Tee and I'm here to tell you: it's nice.
For starters, unlike a lot of merino, this t-shirt is soft. I don't mean soft like "less scratchy," I mean soft like "you won't be aware you're wearing wool." Ibex made me realize that wool could be a no-fuss, super comfortable and hard-wearing technical and everyday fabric, and their Shak jersey remains one of my favorite pieces for its toughness, versatility, and stink resistance. But I want to ensconce myself in the fabric from Outlier's Empire Tee. It's soft and luxurious without being fussy.
Dec 14, 2009 · 02:26 AM
For last year's season—'08/'09—I decided to invest in a high end goggle and, after lots of consideration, bought the $190 Giro Manifest goggle with interchangeable lens system. I bought a version that came with two lenses: gold and ruby.
To cut to the chase: I'm underwhelmed. I bought the Manifest in conjunction with the Giro G10 MX helmet, accepting Giro's claim that their helmets and goggles have been designed to work together, and for a total of about $350, I expected great performance. But the Manifest just could not deal with moisture.
In cold conditions the lenses frosted relentlessly. In snowy conditions, the vents were inevitably clogged. In warm conditions, the lenses fogged. And in wet conditions—snowy or sleety days—the outside of the lenses just couldn't seem to shed the water. The foam that seals the goggle to your face also got soggy and uncomfortable. As for synergy between helmet and goggle? It was not in evidence. The top of the goggle meets the brim of the helmet in such a way that a knife of cold air was consistently channeled against my forehead.
Perhaps I have a wierd face—I can definitely attest to the fact that I have a sweaty face—but my old, $30 Smith Goggles never had a problem. The chief problem seems to be twofold: poorly insulated lenses, and inadequate venting. Because the vents don't work well and tend to get clogged, there's a buildup of moisture inside the goggle and, of course, if the lense is not well insulated, it gets cold, leading to fog or frost.
When they weren't obscured by moisture, I liked the Manifests. They're comfortable, big, and have a good field of vision. The interchange system is clever and easy-to-use—I quickly swapped lenses right on the slope many times last season with no problems—and the gold and ruby lenses performed as advertised in terms of lighting conditons. But if you ski hard in lots of conditions, I don't think you'll be satisfied with the Manifests.
I'd love to hear whether others have had swimilar experiences—or if you think I'm crazy.
Dec 13, 2009 · 11:28 AM
I’m glad this was pointed out to me: on Thursday, December 10, 2009, Jim Morgan, publisher of the Summit Daily News, weighed in on the controversy around the firing of Bob Berwyn.
In it, Morgan denies that Berwyn was fired as a result of pressure from Vail Resorts and says that, when asked to comment by Denver Post columnist Susan Greene, he declined to do so as a matter of company policy.
Morgan goes on to give the paper’s reasons for firing Berwyn:
The reason Berwyn was terminated — and I have to be careful here because it is a personnel issue involving an individual — was not because of the column or because of the resulting fallout from it… . As would be the case with any employee, if there are circumstances symptomatic of a pattern of behavior documented in reviews over the course of time, then changes result.
Clear enough? Berwyn was fired because something happened as a result of something he did, and had done previously, which Summit Daily has documented.
Of course, Berwyn has Summit Daily over a barrel. If they reveal the contents of his personnel file which they say document the pattern of behavior which led to his dismissal, they are not only legally exposed as an employer, but are potentially compromising their integrity and independence as a news organization.
There is one possible solution: Bob Berwyn can ask for permission to publicly release his personnel file himself. The Summit Daily’s only role would be to provide Berwyn with a copy which should relieve them of their legal and journalistic culpability. In this way, concerned readers can judge for themselves the cause of Berwyn’s dismissal.
Dec 12, 2009 · 06:54 PM
Kelly Ladyga, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Vail Resorts, wrote me this afternoon to give me their side of the Bob Berwyn firing story and to call to my attention to Rob Katz’s response. I don’t have her permisison to quote her, so I’ll just tell you what I told her:
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I’m not a journalist, I’m a blogger, and I make no attempt to be fair and balanced. I do try to by objective, however, which means I reference my sources and attempt to distinguish between reporting facts and expressing opinions.
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In what I wrote about the Bob Berwyn firing, I tried to indicate that I am not in possession of all the facts and was only commenting on what the Denver Post reported.
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At no time did I criticize Vail Resorts. That was intentional since…
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In my opinion, it is entirely acceptable for an advertiser to contact a journal when they are displeased with its reporting. It’s up to the journal to defend reporters and its own independence. Without that defense, the journal is of no value to its readers or to its advertisers.
Rob Katz’s response is quite cogent. Among his chief points, he says:
- “Bob Berwyn…wrote a column about ski resorts hyping snow [which] referred to my personal tweet [about snow in Boulder].”
- “I called Bob and asked to speak off-the-record, which he agreed to. I let him know that I was very disappointed with the column”
- “ I also called Jim Morgan, the publisher, to express my disappointment in the column, particularly that [Vail Resorts] was not contacted to comment.”
- “At no time did I, or anyone else at Vail Resorts, threaten the Summit Daily to withhold advertising dollars or in any way ask or imply that Bob Berwyn be fired.”
- “A few days later, Dave Rossi tweeted about my call to Bob Berwyn and Jim Morgan and the substance of the calls….I felt like either Bob or Jim or both had broken a confidence and were now re-broadcasting our private conversation…” (this one?)
- “It was at that point that we decided to put a temporary hold on our advertising, until we could get a better understanding of what was happening.”
Dec 10, 2009 · 03:31 PM
In an ugly development for Summit County journalism, a reporter for the Summit Daily News has apparently been fired for writing an article critical of, among other parties, advertiser Vail Resorts.
DenverPost.com reports that 12-year veteran Bob Berwyn was fired by Summit Daily News publisher Jim Morgan when he refused to “grovel” before Vail Resorts which had been angered by a November 19, 2009 article suggesting that the ski resorts aren’t honest about snowfall.
The Denver post doesn’t tell us what would have constituted “groveling” but apparently, Berwyn stood by his article which pointed out that very often actual snowfall at ski resorts does not live up to ski resorts’ reporting and hype.
Please. Let’s all say it together:
I am shocked, shocked to find that ski resorts overhype snowfall!
The article is so innocuous that it’s hard to imagine Vail Resorts could have been that upset by it, which suggests that the paper’s publisher and editor staff must be extraordinarily weak. It also suggests that Summit County dwellers should be particularly skeptical when reading the Summit Daily News—and maybe look to other sources for local news.
If the facts are as DenverPost.com reports, kudos to Berwyn.
Dec 04, 2009 · 03:13 PM
Skier Claimed Sex Change In Ski Pass Fraud Case
A woman claimed to be in the middle of a sex change when questioned about why she tried to use a ski pass that belonged to a man.
Sarah Nicole Fowke, 23, was arrested Sunday at the Keystone Ski Resort. She was charged with theft over $500 and criminal impersonation.
Keystone's scanning supervisor informed Deputy Berkley that a phone number was on file for the pass holder. Nicholas Hemstreet confirmed that he had given his pass to his girlfriend, Fowke.
Once she admitted her true identity and that she had tried to use Hemstreet's pass, Fowke was taken into custody.
Remember ladies: When impersonating your boyfriend in order to use his ski pass, your prosthetic penis should have realistic shrinkage.
