By Derek Taylor

This weekend, the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour hits its most remote venue ever, the obscure and rootsy cat operation of Ski Arpa. Located 13km up an unpaved road, El Arpa is one of those secrets of South American skiing hidden in plain sight.

People have known of it for years, but it's difficult to get to, so it doesn't get a ton of traffic. Don't expect many spectators to make the trip. Athletes, on the other hand, can expect some world class, empty powder skiing.

Word from the Twittisphere this morning is that it is snowing all the way to Santiago, which is rare. Two-and-a-half feet have fallen since Tuesday, and with wind loading, organizers expect four feet in the venues. Assuming the weather clears and competitors and organizers can get up the road, they will be treated to all-time conditions for a big mountain comp, crossing tracks only they laid themselves. Arpa's terrain is worthy, but the venues will likely be shorter than what competitors are used to...

Get over to Powdermag.com to check out all DT's top picks for the event.

Do it.

Winner Aaron Robinson slicing and dicing.

Words & Photos: Sean Kerrick Sullivan

"Start at the top, end at the bottom. Flow all the way through with energy and excitement without a lot of traversing or stalling. You want people to go "Wow, someone just rode that mountain really well." - Tom Burt

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding presented by Primaloft Finals went down on North Baldy at Snowbird on a perfect bluebird Sunday. Snowbird's Ski Patrol was generous again in closing the venue before the event, so Saturday dropped in as a weather day with high winds and 10-12" of snow pummeling Utah's premier big mountain venue. North Baldy filled in quite nicely but a near solid ice layer lurked beneath the snow from the previous weeks rain, and winds that blessed protected and leeward areas with either straight pow or windblown pow stripped snow from exposed areas, leaving a polished layer of ice.

Full recap and photos...