A small ski area in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, Burke Mountain is perhaps best known as the home of Burke Mountain Academy, and elite ski racing academy that has produced ski industry icons such as Shane McConkey and Wendy Fisher, as well as current U.S. Ski Team Phenom Mikaela Shiffrin. The school and the mountain, however, are separate entities, the latter of which has new-found stability thanks to a new ownership group with strong ties to the region and experience owning and operating nearby Jay Peak.

Burke's motto is All That Vermont Skiing Ever Was, meaning the mountain has stayed small and it's trails narrow. Still, with more than 2,000 vertical feet, 260 acres of piste, and 100 acres of maintained glades, it's not exactly dwarfed by the rest of New England's resorts.

For summer recreationalists, Burke maintains 110 miles of mountain bike trails, including a bike park. There is flat water and river paddling near the resort, as well as fishing for Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, burbot, and yellow perch.

Annual Snowfall: 217inches

Skiable Acreage: 260

Vertical: 2,011 feet

Number of lifts: 6

Number of trails: 50

Local Restaurants: Tamarack Grill, Bear Den Lounge, PubOutback

Nearest Airport: Burlington, VT (91 miles).

Hotels/Lodging: Burke Slopeside Lodging, Rabbit Hill Inn

While many of us were sulking because the season is practically over, Norwegian shredder, Stale Sandbech was busy stomping a brand new trick. A video of the 18-year-old hitting a massive kicker in Europe just surfaced, and in it, Sandbech stomps a triple underflip 1260. Yeah, we didn't really think that was possible either, but this video from Stale's sponsors proves it.



After seeing the video, we had to know what was going through Sandbech's mind when he stomped the new trick. Stale commented, "At first I was pretty surprised I was able to land it, and then I was really happy I didn't have try it again!"

Stale's also said that he thinks the underflip is more of "a stunt than a trick," but if there is a solid, safe jump in a slope course, don't put it past him to pull it out during a contest.

From sunrise shoots to sunset sessions, Seth Hill rode his hardest all day, every day at Snowboarder Mag's Superpark 16. His relentless riding coupled with his stoke for the sport earned him the prestigious Gatorade Driven From Within award.

We got in touch with Seth for insight into what fueled him through the week at Mt. Bachelor, what the Gatorade Award means to him, what's next for this up-and-coming ripper.

Did you go into Superpark with the goal of winning the Gatorade Driven From Within Award?
Not going to lie, it was definitely in the back of my mind. But truly I was just super stoked on the setup, had great people to work with, and just wanted to make the most out of such a fun week.

What does winning Gatorade Award mean to you?
As far as I'm concerned, it's my greatest snowboarding accomplishment. It really makes me feel like I have a strong chance of making it in the industry we all care so much about.

What was your favorite feature at Superpark and the best trick you stomped?
My favorite feature has to be the big Seven Springs true table that was next to the chair-lift. It was the first feature I really went for and it was just a perfect jump. Favorite, and hardest trick for me was the backside double rodeo over the Boreal step-up. Not only did I work the hardest to get a good landed one, but it was the last thing I did at Superpark, as well as a new trick in my bag.

What is your best memory from Superpark?
Hard question, but best personal memory is breaking my binding off my board at 5:30 am, rushing back to the car, mounting another board, then still getting shots at the sunrise shoot. It was the biggest adrenaline rush ever, and I just didn't even have a second to think from 530-8am.

What are you goals for the next season?
I am always trying to push my riding, contests and exposure. I think the Gatorade Award will definitely help push my exposure level, so I can hopefully shoot more with some of the great photographers. But really I'm just going to keep working hard to do as much as possible in snowboarding, filming, contests, and giving back to the snowboard community. I'm currently headed back up to Baker to finish my video part with Wildcard Movies which is releasing next fall. Then I will be back at Mt. Hood coaching at HCSC with all the awesome staff, as well as last year's Superpark standout, Scotty Vine!

Check out this solid tribute edit from Jeremy Dubs and Wildcard Movies featuring Gatorade's Superpark 16 Driven From Within winner Seth Hill.

Tucked away in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, Jay Peak is the East Coast's powder stash. Averaging 355 inches a year, Jay gets more snow than many resorts in more powder-friendly geographies. Located just a few miles from the Canadian border, Jay has a vibe that's distinctly different from other resorts--quaint, old-school Vermont with a European/Quebecois flavor. Eight lifts, including a 60-person aerial tram, access 385 acres of terrain,including steep alpine chutes and glades. But with a moderate run-out, there isplenty of room for beginners and intermediates as well. The abutting backcountry is some of the best lift-accessed backcountry skiing in the region. Most lodging, including the new Tram Haus Lodge, is ski-in, ski-out.

Recent expansions have made Jay much more than a ski area. The resort recently built an indoor water park, complete with a standing wave, and an NHL-regulation ice rink that's able to accommodate 1,000 spectators and features a fully licensed cafe. Those additions complement a highly acclaimed championship golf course. While there is no mountain biking on the resort, there are trails in the Montgomery, Jay and Westfield area. Check in with the Firsttrax ski and bike shop in Montgomery.

Annual Snowfall: 355 inches

Skiable Acreage: 385+

Base Elevation: 1,815 feet

Vertical: 2,153 feet

Number of lifts: 8

Number of trails: 76

Local Restaurants: Alice's Table, Tower Bar and Grille, TheFoundry Pub and Grill, Mountain Dick's Pizza.

Backountry Access: Open Gates before 3:00 pm.

Ticket Price: $75

Nearest Airport: Burlington, VT (80 miles).

Hotels/Lodging: Tram House Lodge; Hotel Jay.

Burke Mountain, in Northeast Vermont, has new ownership with strong ties to the region.

An ownership group made up of principals in Jay Peak Resort,Vermont has purchased neighboring Burke Mountain. Ariel Quiros, who along with Jay Peak president Bill Stenger bought Jay Peak Resort from Mont Saint-Sauveur Valley resorts in 2008, is heading the group, called Q-Burke. Stenger is involved as well.

"This is a separate company with the same ownership principals," says Steve Wright, Jay Peak's V.P. of marketing and sales. Jay Peak is a beacon of Eastern skiing, in part because they boast the most snowfall of any ski area in the region, with an annual average of 355 inches, but also for their customer service and access to expert terrain. The resort has made headlines in recent years with several new upgrades, including a championship golf course, an indoor water park, extensive lodging and an NHL-size indoor ice arena.

Wright is quick to point out that the improvements at Jay are not necessarily an indication of what could happen at Burke. "We have a lot of fact finding to do," he told SkitheEast.com. "Clearly we have similarities in audience and location, which will work well for cross promotion and products. There's a lot of history at Burke and there's been many master plans that did not roll out."

A skier scores a powder day on Burke Mountain. Photo: Courtesy Burke Mountain

"Burke Mountain embodies what is best about Vermont Skiing: a quality mountain experience, employees that love the sport and a community that is full of authentic Vermont character," Stenger says in a press release. "Jay Peak and Burke Mountain have much in common and I look forward to seeing the resorts continue to prosper and grow. We expect some exciting promotional cooperation between the resorts this coming winter as we review the plans for Burke Mountain's future."

Burke is located about an hour from Jay Peak, in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, and features 260 acres of skiable terrain across 50 named trails with 2,011 vertical feet and 100 acres of maintained glades. It receives 217 inches of snow annually.

The area is perhaps best known, however, for Burke Mountain Academy, an elite private high school that has produced champion skiers such as Wendy Fisher and Shane McConkey, and current U.S. Ski Team phenomenon Mikaela Shiffrin. The Academy is privately owned and not part of the sale. Wright says Jay Peak already has a long tradition of working closely with the Academy, and that Burke Mountain's new owners and the Academy have a good standing relationship.

The resort was sold by Ginn Companies, a troubled, Florida-based vacation real estate developer. Ginn bought the ski area in 2005 with plans to build out the resort. When the real estate bubble burst, however, those plans were put on hold. Wright told Ski the East that the current purchase is debt-free, and that Burke Mountain has build out permits already in place.

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