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The world is full of numbers and uses those numbers for counting, measuring, and comparing amounts. We are a society that is fixated on analyzing numbers and formulating solutions in any industry. Numbers in sports are used in every aspect of every sport in the world. We look at teams’ winning percentages, and player’s statistics, and we love looking at winning streaks and records. Those can be for the most games won in a row or how many championships a team has won in a row. The record for the most human-powered vertical skiing feet completed in one calendar year is 2,510,924 feet which was accomplished by Aaron Rice in 2016.
That record is now trying to be beaten by Noah Dines from Stowe, Vermont, whose goal is to ski 3 million vertical feet this year without using any lifts at all. To accomplish this, Dines plans to ski 330 days this year averaging 9,090 feet a day. His journey began at Stowe Ski Resort and so far has taken him to France and Austria. He is currently on his way to hit the Rockies and then plans to ski some resorts out west as well. While out west, Dines plans on skiing Summit County, Aspen, Utah, Tahoe, and finally Mount Hood. This summer, his journey will take him to South America to continue his quest to get to 3 million vertical feet. The Boston native plans on returning to Stowe this upcoming winter to hopefully beat the record surrounded by family and friends.
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Dines’ year-long adventure will take him to many places and during that journey, he plans on sleeping most of the trip in his 2003 Toyota Tacoma. Sleeping in the winter cold provides many challenges and dangers and his truck has not been converted for those conditions. “It is entirely unbuilt out, and I have just some sleeping pads, and a sleeping bag, and we will see how it goes,” said Dines. He has had help from friends who have let him stay at their places so far this trip and some people have even reached out to him on Instagram as well. Dines said that people saw what he was trying to accomplish via Instagram and offered to help him by letting him sleep in one of their spare rooms or a couch to sleep on.
Averaging climbing and skiing 9,090 feet vertical feet a day requires a lot of strength, stamina, and energy and Dines says he feels great physically. He does not have a specific workout routine to keep him in shape, but does focus on his core and occasionally works out with a kettleball. He maintains his strength and conditioning by doing outdoor activities such as being on the mountain and skiing. “Let me tell you right now, that I am in the most specific shape you can ever be in and I could do this thing for a long time,” said Dines.
Anyone who has hiked up or skinned up a mountain knows how much energy you consume and how important calorie intake is. Dines says that he burns between four to seven thousand calories a day which consists of eating a lot of carbs, proteins, and Gummies. Dines said that it takes him about 35 to 45 minutes to climb up and ski down a run that is around 2,000 vertical feet. Climbing up the slope is the best time to catch Dines chewing on some Gummies to get some quick sugar and energy.
One of the goals that Dines wanted to achieve during this journey was to inspire people to do things they did not think they could accomplish. He said that many people have asked him what his inspiration and reasoning was for trying to break the record. “Part of it is, that I want to see what I can do, I do not think I’ve ever really tried really hard at one thing before, and part of it is because skiing is fun, and a part of it is to inspire others,” said Dines. His mindset is just because someone does not have a background in something does not mean that they have to sit back and let things happen to them.” I didn’t come into this as a professional athlete, I came into this as a dude from Stowe that likes to ski,” said Dines.
Traveling around the world and visiting so many countries and ski resorts allows Dines to meet people from all kinds of backgrounds. “One of my goals was to meet cool people and ski with cool people from all different walks of life,” said Dines. At some point throughout his journey, Dines’ 63-year-old father plans on joining him and climbing up and skiing down the mountain with him. “That’s going to be really cool for me, I am really excited about that,” said Dines. “Age is just really a number when people are outside getting after it every day.”
Dines plans on ending his journey to break the record for most human-powered vertical skiing feet completed in one calendar year where he began it. Currently, he is ahead of what his projected goal was for vertical feet accomplished but still plans on skiing at Stowe on New Year’s Eve this year. There he hopes that he will be surrounded by family and friends to cheer him on as he tries to break the record.
To help him with the costs of this year-long journey, Dines has set up a GoFundMe page where family, friends, or fans can send money to assist him with breaking the record.
