Italian Alp Session

By Carlos Blanchard…

Yeah, where am I? Can you tell me? That’s a question I always ask myself. Usually when I’m in amazing places, doing things I never imagined I would do. I had one of those moments of enjoyment last week, in a trip to the mountains of Italy, with a crew of Pirates….

I’ll put you in the situation: the place is called Val Senales, a resort in the valley of Sudtirol, in the mountains on the southern border of Austria and Italy. We arrived there Monday of last week in a lodge called Bella Vista, with more than 100 years of history; such a sick place to end your day of riding, with great food and plenty of good times… all thanks to Paul and the cook, big support!

Bella Vista means beautiful view… duh.

Usually by this time in the season things get a bit more relaxed; the good weather is here and you are thinking more of summer than winter. To me it all seems like little holiday, which makes it kind of funny when you think that you are working, as Flo, the Pirates filmer, said, “It’s hard to call this work.”

Josh and Talma… hard at “work.”

But the riding was happening for sure!! Gigi, was there, and was doing some good stuff all around, even some little backcountry lines, sharpy rocks, big bs airs!!!

Gigi knows a thing or two about picking big lines.

Björn Hartweger, Pirate rider since the beginning joined Gigi in a quarter session that was really great, both of them got some tricks, and it was one of the best moments of the week; witnessed by the whole crew and celebrated with some beers and Italian wine.

Björn Hartweger checking the gap. 

But it wasn’t just those guys; the crew was thick: Tyler Chorlton, Josh Sherman and Teo Kontinnen (AKA Talma) were really on fire in the kicker each session, with or without paraglider. Then there was Mone Monsberger with his one-foot missions, getting some sick fs 3 and fast plants in the quarterpipe, good job Mone!!

Tyler 7pm cab 7.  

Mone warms up via the “hippy jump.”

Did I say paraglider? Well, yeah, Adler the eagle was above us in the sky for some days. It took time, but at the end, the mission of filming from the sky was done. Done as we thought around Friday, when all of us were feeling tired and beat down from the high altitude sun. But I can’t complain, it was a great time!

Josh Sherman and the eagle!

So again, with a good feeling and happy for this time in Italy, in a place where 17 years ago, the oldest mummy ever known was found (Ötzi), we got in our cars and drove back home, to Innsbruck, where I had another nice discovery, an “all you can eat” sushi restaurant for less than 10 €, thats a good deal!!

Thanks a lot to the Gentleman crew (Alex, Andy and Fabio) in Val Senales, Paul and the cook in Bella Vista, the incredible support of the riders and the Pirates in general.

See you next time!!

Carlos