October 07, 2015

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Anthony Krolczyk

Welcome to Chairlift Talk. We think Omnibar has the coolest fans and customers on planet earth and we want to share their stories. Everyone has a different story and we thought we have just the right platform (blog) to make it work. Below is our first featured fan but let us know what you think on twitter or if you would like to be a part of this!

Name: Anthony Krolczyk

Instagram: @krolzinger

Bio: Born and raised in the land of 10,000 lakes, I left for college at UM in the fall of 2009. I have two younger brothers and our parents had us skiing by the time we could walk. Only sport restriction growing up was no competitive hockey because Mom and Dad preferred to be skiing on the weekends rather than driving us around to hockey tournaments. After ski racing since 9th grade, I raced downhill for two years at UM before trading the camaraderie of the ski team for ski patrol at Montana Snowbowl. Did you know Arizona has a Snowbowl Ski Resort also? Fact.

The second I arrived in Missoula I made it my goal that I would find a way to stay in Montana. Couldn't be happier that dream became reality when I went to work for Omnibar right out of school. In addition to being part of the awesome crew at Omnibar, I'm the Director for the National Patrol at Snowbowl and greatly appreciate my time in these surrounding mountains.

Athlete or sport you like to follow?
Backcountry Snowmobiling. It's like skiing fresh pow with an engine strapped to your feet. Amazing.

What was your most recent adventure or weekend like?
Sushi night at the Jackson residence. Shit got crazy. Any dudes want to impress a group of ladies?Step 1: Attempt to make good homemade sushi. Seriously fun.
Step 2: Good tunes and beverages of choice.
Party on.

As an outdoor enthusiast, what is the one place you keep going back to?
Teton Pass. Choteau, MT

Tell us about a time you were unprepared and what you would do differently next time?
February 2014 we were backcountry skiing in Lincoln, MT. We were up towards Copper Lake and accessed the area via sleds. It was pushing about 15 below (before windchill), and had snowed about 4 feet over the past 48 hours. The sun was out and we had an amazing day in some of the best snow I've ever seen in MT.

As the sun fell behind the mountains though, the temperature quickly dropped. I had already soaked through 2 pairs of gloves and had one pair of mittens remaining in my sled. One person in the group ran out of fuel halfway home but we had a spare gas can along. In the process, I got my mittens slightly damp as well. I was beginning to lose sensation in my hands and it was quickly becoming a serious issue. I would get off my sled and hit the seat as hard as I could in an attempt to get some additional blood flow back to my hands. We got back to the motel in Lincoln and I had to slowly bring back feeling in my hands by running warm water over them for a good 30+ minutes.

I'm now the person in the group with about two sets of liners, two sets of mittens, and two sets of gloves in my sled pack at any given time. I also pack spare socks in my sled. Moral of the story, take care of your hands and feet.

In your opinion, what is it about the outdoors that keep you and others going back?
Call it what you want but it's certainly a spiritual reset. It doesn't matter if it's a 30 minute hike from the house or an all day event. The solidarity and peacefulness is second to none.

What is on your adventure bucket list? Why?
I want to spend more time exploring the Swan range this winter. Best part about Montana is I live where I want to recreate. Many lifetimes of adventure await in this place.