Sean Hartel

Hey ya’ll,

Winter is just crawling in and I’ve been working my butt off getting things in order for a killer season of competing, filming, and coaching. I’ve been putting in a ton of hours for Tahoe Freeride, so I’ve struggled to squeeze in my fall training on a daily basis. I’ve been training with my team two nights a week at Starz Gymnastics in Reno. Starz has two trampolines, two foam pits, and a double mini tramp to practice our tricks on. It’s a great facility and we have an awesome setup with our own private sessions. We’ve also been sliding a ton of rails to practice for slopestyle. We’ve been shooting photos on urban rails, where we get snow from the Zamboni shavings at ice rinks and set up a small take-off and landing on handrails, just like a skateboarder. Sky Tavern, a local ski resort, built an off-snow drop in ramp and rail setup for us to put on a few exhibition shows at various events. Then last week Boreal Resort, one of our home mountains, opened here with rails and boxes to practice on.

I’ve also been mountain biking about five days a week with my partner in crime, Casey Krueger. Casey and I were introduced a few months ago and I finally met my match. He’s also a pro-skier, extremely competitive, and as stubborn as I am. We totally hit it off. Anyway, we’ve been charging the downhill trails of Tahoe, elbow to elbow trying to pass each other on single tracks—all while hitting dirt jumps without the proper gear or the proper bikes (which I don’t recommend). Mountain biking is great training for skiing because it strengthens your legs, gets your knees healthy, and the charge factor of down hilling exercises your equilibrium and quick reactions.

There are a few pre-season pro events that I’ve been involved with as well. First was the Esurance Icer Air in San Francisco, where they build a huge jump in the middle of the city at AT&T Park and flew in the top pros from around the world to compete and put on a show. Icer Air also has freestyle motocross, skateboarding, bmx biking, and snowboarding. The jump this year was pretty intimidating and rather sketchy with little snow and a catapult system to gain speed. All of the rockstars were too scared to hit the jump so I volunteered to be the guinea pig, which got me some serious publicity. So there I was… the crazy guy who tested this contraption out in front of thousands of people and TV cameras; zero to sixty miles per hour in three seconds while holding onto a rope that would slingshot me into a 60 foot hip. Some people call it nutty, I call it fun!

Next was the Jibassic Pro Invitational, which is a rail jam that attracts the top jibbers (rail sliders) from around the world. My forte is jumping and skiing, not jibbing. But now that I am playing a more significant role in the industry, and a few of my TFC athletes were competing, I was asked to be the announcer for this prestigious event. If you want a good laugh, tune into Fuel TV and listen to MC Sean at work. It was my first time behind the microphone, but it was a good chance for me to talk up my athletes and sponsors. I definitely snuck a few words in about Twinlab, and made sure the camera’s caught me walking around with the mic in one hand and my Pure Fuel Energy Drink in the other. Another great night with crazy afterparties.

That week we also had our first Tahoe Freeride Winter Celebration and Fundraiser. It was a formal dinner with a silent auction to raise money for a scholarship fund for our team and a travel budget for our top athletes. We had a great turnout from the local community and raised money that will give a few athletes the opportunity to succeed. I also got our website up and running, so check it out at www.tahoefreeride.com.

My winter will be full of traveling and it all begins this weekend. I am leaving for Colorado to spend Thanksgiving with my family and train superpipe for the AST Dew Tour. The Dew Tour starts on December 16th and you can all watch it on MTV, NBC, or USA. I have some big plans for this winter, but I’ll let you in on those secrets next time. Till then, have fun and get your skis or board ready for a killer winter!

Thanks for all the support!

Sean