Local companies to thank for Patterson's wave skiing feat
Jake Burton figured out a way to surf on snow. So, why not skiing on waves?
Here's free-skier and world class surfer Chuck Patterson tackling Maui's "Jaws," considered by many to be "the world's largest wave." Oh, and he's on skis. No biggie.
Patterson's feat has made him an instant online sensation (the video was due to appear on ABC's "Good Morning America" this morning), and has made a name for Starr Surf Skis, an outfit out of Colchester, Vt. which created the skis in conjunction with McDermott Shapes, a southern Maine company created by brothers Andy and Ryan (whose name you may recognize from various Meathead Film productions).
According to Starr's website, the idea of skiing waves goes back at least 10 years, probably longer. But Starr is the one putting it on the map, committed to "opening a new frontier for skiing, using waves as mountains and lakes as cross country terrain." Patterson's feat is certainly the high point for the sport. It's only a matter of time before beaches ban skiers, right?
Contributors
Eric Wilbur is a lifelong recreational skier who spends most of his winter and spring in the mountains of New England. He does not ski in jeans. You can read more of Eric's work here.
Heather Burke is an award winning ski journalist with over a decade of ski news coverage. As a former ski instructor and a ski parent, she knows the ski biz from the inside out. She and her family visit New England ski resorts, as well as the West and Canada, to report on the latest trends and their best family finds. Her husband Greg takes all the accompanying photos, and their work can be seen at www.familysktitrips.com and www.luxuryskitrips.com.
