courtesy: Alex Grymanis
Most 16 year old guys probably spent their summer vacation working at the local fast food joint, cruising around in their first car or playing video games. But Joey Vandermeer is no ordinary teen. He’s an up-and-comer on the freeski scene and gaining international attention since he started racking up wins at the tender age of 13. This summer, Joey headed to Europe with two of his best friends (lucky!) They hit Les Deux Alpes in France, skiing the glacier for nearly two months.
the stoke
“Most of the people nearby come there to ski, like people from Spain, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Italy and all over,” Joey told us. “I got to meet so many new people that enjoy the same hobbies as I do. It was easily the best summer I have ever had.”
And he wasn’t just goofing around. During his seven weeks in France, Joey won first place in Les Deux Alpes Amateur Series Rail Jam, and second place in the Slopestyle. That beats the high score on “Guitar Hero” any day. As he gets ready for winter and a new round of competition, here’s a quick rundown of Joey’s accomplishments for the past season:
Timberline Pre-season Pleasin, Timberline – 1st Place
Timberline Friday Night Features, Timberline – 1st Place
The Oregon Cup Rail Jam, Mt Bachelor – 3rd Place
Timberline Fusion Series Slopestyle, Timberline – 2nd Place
Wham Bam AM JAM, Mt Hood Meadows – 1st Place
Ski Bowl Spring Slush Box Jam – Best Male Overall Skier
And in his “free time” between competitions, Joey loves getting crazy on camera and making sweet videos on the slopes. Joey’s friend Danny Schwartz put together these edits:
Les Deux Alpes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Jy9-6QJto
Mt. Hood:
http://www.newschoolers.com/web/content/viewvideo/id/275132/search_string/joey+vandermeer/
Portland Rail Jam:
http://www.newschoolers.com/web/content/viewvideo/id/260830/search_string/joey+vandermeer/
While Joey was in France, European Freeskier magazine interviewed him – the issue will come out this fall. Until then, check out a few amazing outtakes from his photo shoots:
courtesy: Isabelle Hanssen
courtesy: Amanda Van Welij
So now it’s back to school for Joey. So if you see him roaming the halls of Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon with a big smile and a faraway look in his eye, you can imagine he’s probably planning his next school break. And while summer skiing is fun, winter is on its way and soon it will be time to bust out the ColdAvenger for those high-altitude adventures.
Stay Out Longer,
John B. Sullivan III aka ColdAvenger Pro
