Marius Schwager

The heat is already building up on our doorstep. Short/short bike tours are still the best way to prepare for the season. Skiing in the südstau storm with a snow line at 3000m+ is something others are welcome to do. No southern powder in today's Videos of the Week, but an internal team special including title sponsorship by and for Team Projekt Pommes!

The Videos of the Week are back. Every week, the essence of moving images from the freeride and powder network is presented here in handy morsels. The first week gets off to a powerful start. Including powder chasing in the Alps, a dream trip in Canada and surfing at 1000 frames per second.

"May makes everything new, makes the soul fresh and free" begins Hermann Adam von Kamp's well-known May poem. For skiers, the start of May often heralds the end of the season; this season, it also marks the start of the summer break for the Videos of the Week. With the last remnants of snow, here's the last batch of web snippets, including a very special treat: Apocalypse Snow, THE ski movie from 1983! Here's to a few successful days of skiing and touring in the summer remnants.

There is at least one positive thing about the lack of winter this year: nobody has to struggle in the snow for the Easter egg hunt. Sun worshippers line up along the magnificent promenades in the major cities like chickens on a string, while the mountains are emptier than they have been for a long time. Although the majority of POV customers seem to have finished their season, there is always something worth seeing in the depths of the web. Be it current or from the 80s. Crazy Frenchmen sliding on a gondola rope are of course not to be missed.

The last few weeks have been a tragedy in terms of skiing. Just as you're actively drowning the season with the help of various alcoholic beverages, bang, there's some fresh snow again. Mostly pointless at 20-30cm on flowering meadows, but there's always a little bit. A recent video from the Wallnerrinne and a video from a few days ago on the Glacier Rond are proof of this. Otherwise, unfortunately, you have to see it as it is: snow conditions as usual at the end of May (or even later). Exceptions can only be found in the high Alps or on artificial snow systems. As a reminder of what real winter looked like (in the past), and for the real winter flair, here are two informative videos.

Winter is saying goodbye rather quickly and emphatically at the moment. As a result, there is little current video footage of snow circulating on social media. If you can still find remnants of snow and fancy a bit of fun, how about a "slash attack"? It would be more serious to take Time for the Whiteroom as an example and plan a ski trip to more remote regions - e.g. Kyrgyzstan. Also, a quick wake-up call that you're not alone in terrain close to the slopes (nothing has happened to either of them and there's no legal dispute, for once), episode two of Lentsch-Air, Pitztal-Raw and episode 8 of Mr. POV Andrew Whiteford.

Who doesn't remember the early days of their hobby? Standing at the Wonder Carpet and not knowing how to get up and down, admiring the "big ones" on the drag lift in awe. You can feel the same way as an adult freerider when you watch some of the competition runs. Fabi Lentsch and Reine Barkered show us how it's done this week. Looks just as playful as the adventures of the Playmobil crew.

This week's issue of VdW is named after the current viral campaign by the agency Jung von Matt. It's fitting that Mother Hulda has also returned from her summer slumber. In many parts of the Alps, people are rejoicing at the recent snowfall. If you take a closer look, you'll see that the lack of a base is often hard on the material or the bones. But that (almost) doesn't matter. The good Tyrolean meter of fresh snow (allegedly it was even 2-3, as the height of the spray is known to be the measure) was amply documented and thus the VdW show a colorful cross-section with a lot of current material. Finally. It's super cool, you're super cool!

Winter seems to be slowly saying goodbye. Forest fires instead of powder turns are currently the motto in the northern Inn Valley at least. The VdW could conjure up a little winter atmosphere for the approaching snowfall. Cold camels, a bit of Blast from the Past, the latest from France and a few more videos could help.

Spring has hit the Alps with full force. If there is still snow, it is now quickly diminishing, at least at lower altitudes. There is less freeride action, but the scene is slowly preparing for the alpine touring season. This leaves some time to focus on the people behind the cameras who produce the many photos and videos. So that it doesn't stay so dry, a little "slow-motion" action to accompany the VdW.

For the connoisseur, the title of this week's Videos of the Week probably says it all. For everyone else: Tetongravity is releasing part of the Jeremy Jones trilogy for free and legally on the web. An interesting strategic move that could be discussed at length. But you don't have to, in this case it's also worth watching. Because once again, you have to be quick. As with last week's release, this tempting offer is only valid this week from 4.3 to 11.3.2014. So grab your safety halves and chips quickly, pull up a chair and enjoy.

Traveling is considered one of the modern status symbols. Freeride pros find themselves in the middle of this trend. Understandable, because who doesn't like to have Japanese powder or dry Kandafluff blowing around their ears? The VdW are in the middle of this trend this week. Japan, Canada, Switzerland and a few more countries. A colorful mix and lots of beautiful pictures.