Hi, I'm Mike!
One of the most influential events of my life was receiving a snowboard for my 6th birthday. I grew up in eastern Massachusetts, not far from the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where I learned how to snowboard on what could be best described as edgeable concrete. In high school, I spent my winters working as a snowboard instructor at a local hill in Mass, mostly so I had an excuse to go ride seven days a week.
A trip to Lake Tahoe my senior year of high school made me realize two things: 1. There are few things better than riding pow and 2. Icy groomers don't exactly prepare you for riding multiple feet of snow. My college years were spent at the University of Vermont, where I graduated with a degree in geography. Those four years made it clear that living in the mountains was always going to be a priority for me.
After graduation, I worked a variety of jobs, bouncing between Vermont and Massachusetts. Eventually, I landed at Eastern Mountain Sports, kicking off my career in outdoor retail. I worked for EMS as a supervisor for a number of years before moving on to being the assistant manager at Central Rock Gym in Cambridge, MA. In May 2018, I packed up my life and moved out to Tahoe City to join the team at Alpenglow Sports.
My Top 3:
Surge ST
I prefer a more responsive binding and the Surge ST gives me that in a lightweight, durable package. Spark has one of the most intuitive and reliable splitboard systems on the market, so transitions will be smooth and efficient no matter the conditions.
Irvis Hybrid Crampons
The Irvis Hybrid crampons are light and packable enough that you won’t try to chance it without them on a big day in the mountains. The steel front points give me a little extra confidence in mixed terrain, compared to aluminum.
Mike's Secret Weapons:
Iko Core Headlamp
The lightweight, comfortable design of the Iko Core makes it the perfect headlamp for dawn patrol runs and tours. The beam stays steadily in place as you’re running and with up to 500 lumens, you’ve got more than enough light to keep you moving in the right direction.
Smith Pursuit Sunglasses
With goggle-like coverage and excellent ventilation, the Pursuit is my go-to for big tours in the mountains. The photochromic lens adapts well to a wide variety of lighting conditions and the included clear lens comes in handy when your days aren’t confined to the daylight.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.