Kaenon Polarized

Kasha Rigby is an extreme telemarker and explorer whom has traveled far and wide across the globe in pursuit of first descents and fresh powder. She has a multitude of first ski descents on multiple continents under her belt, including Kuitan, the highest peak in Mongolia and RFHP, a 2500m couloir in the Himachal Pradesh region of India; as well as skiied the Cotopaxi (5897m) and Chimborazo (6310m) Volcanoes of Ecuador, also known as the world’s highest active volcanoes!

She was also featured in Warren Miller’s film “Extreme Winter” in 2001 and was called by Outside Magazine “the best female telemark skier in the known universe.” Her most recent appearance on film is in the movie “The Edge of Never” which is now available on DVD.

When Kasha is braving some of the most extreme conditions in the world, she wears Porter G12 and Zaza. To learn more about Kasha’s latest whereabouts, visit her website: http://www.kasharigby.com

Jessica McMillan wearing Georgia Olive Crystal G12, finished 2nd at the extreme skiing event in Verbier, Switzerland giving her a 2nd place overall, for the season.

Julia Mancuso who wears Joss placed third and talks about the experience here.

Adrian Ballinger is one of the top ski guides in the world.  Look for him in the most recent series of Mount Everest, “Beyond the Limits” on the Discovery Channel and check out this clip for a sneak peek.

Ballinger checked in with Kaenon providing an update on his travels:

“It’s been another incredible season here in Chamonix, and hard to believe it is almost time already to leave for the spring Himalaya season. Time in the Alps always flies by, and this season has been no exception. Snow and coverage has been top notch in 2010—all the famous ski routes have been in all the way down to the valley, avalanche hazard has been low, and we have even had our share of sunny days.

“One of the real benefits of basing out of Chamonix for skiing is the incredible variety of terrain and options regardless of weather. On storm days we can ski trees or close to the lift systems. As storms end we begin skiing the big classic off-piste lines directly from the lift systems all the way to town (imagine 7000-9000 vertical foot descents with no hiking or ski touring to access them).

And then when we get a few bluebird days in a row we go on long ski tours, combining rides on lifts with ski touring and mountaineering, progressively traveling further and further and often starting in one town, eating lunch in another, and finishing the day with a beer in another town and usually in a different country!

“This year we have been heading through the famous Mont Blanc tunnel and skiing lots in Italy. The Italian Alps close to Chamonix have great snow, few people, and of course the world’s best espresso and pizza! Here are a few pictures from this season in and around Chamonix. Stay posted for a more complete photo gallery to come soon.”

Adrian Ballinger wears a variety of Kaenon sunglasses, from Hard Kore and Jetty to Baton. Adrian prefers a G12 lens to combat harsh glacier and snow reflection.

And the beat goes on! Last weekend in Crans Montana, Switzerland, Julia Mancuso continued her podium resurgence at the first post-Olympics World Cup event, with a Bronze Medal run in the Women’s Super G. She ran Delite Tortoise G12 and Leila Black Opal G12 celebrating her bronze medal in Crans Montana, Switzerland.

Julia, right, celebrating bronze in Delite Tortoise, G12 lens

Last week, right after the closing ceremonies Sunday and before heading off to Switzerland on Tuesday, Julia made a quick media tour through LA. She appeared on the George Lopez Show where she hammed it up with the comedian and even sang on stage! Check out her karaoke skills here:

WINTER OLYMPICS

Julia Mancuso and fellow medalists and members of the U.S. Ski Team, Andrew Weibrecht, Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller.

Switching between various styles of Kaenon’s women’s sunglasses Julia Mancuso has been seen in Joss Black, G12 lens, Calais Tortoise, C12 lens and Leila Black Opal, G12 lens

WINTER OLYMPICS

Share the dream – watch Julia Mancuso in her final 2010 Olympic event Wednesday February 24th. Julia has won three Olympic Medals thus far, the most ever for any female American alpine skier (Gold in Women’s Giant Slalom 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy; Silver in Women’s Downhill and Silver in Women’s Super-Combined in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada). As a fan of Kaenon’s line of women’s sunglasses Julia Mancuso has been seen in Joss Black, G12 lens, Calais Tortoise, C12 lens and Leila Black Opal, G12 lens which she’s been wearing around the slopes in Whistler the past few weeks.

In this Visa commercial, Julia Mancuso gets a special message from Morgan Freeman who narrates the early visions of Julia’s quest for Olympic achievement. The commercial was inspired by a poster Julia drew herself when she was 12 years old. The poster still hangs in the locker room of her stomping grounds to this day.

Earlier today, Julia Mancuso shared with Ellen DeGeneres and audience her path on becoming an Olympic Gold Medalist. Here she talks about the balance of athleticism and media and the importance of staying focused on her skiing, despite the ebbs and flows of publicity and media attention.

ALPINE SKIING

Julia Mancuso is known for her sparkly personality and now as the most decorated Olympic American female alpine skier, with three Olympic Medals to her name (1-Gold, 2-Silver). Whether surfing in Maui, racing down the slopes in Vancouver, climbing mountains or simply having fun, Julia Mancuso keeps it all in perspective.

Julia Mancuso in Calais

Julia in Delite above and below.

Julia in Joss

WINTER OLYMPICS: VANCOUVER 2010

Julia Mancuso Now Two-for-Two in Two Days!
Takes Another Silver in Today’s Super Combined

Let’s see…two days, two Olympic Women’s Alpine events, two Silver Medals! Kaenon Polarized Team Rider Julia Mancuso is proving to the world she’s no one-win-wonder, claiming her second Silver Medal in as many days in the grueling Super Combined event today at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. In the first half of the event— the Downhill—Julia led off early with a time of 1:24.96. US teammate and yesterday’s Downhill Gold medalist Lindsey Vonn edged her out by 0.8 seconds, and German skier Maria Raush also posted a slightly faster time, pushing Julia into the third slot halfway through.

Just a few hours later in the Slalom half of the competition, Julia ripped it up again, giving her a combined time of 2:10:08. Her consistent skiing across the two different courses put her back on the podium on the Silver medal stand. Maria Raush won Gold while Vonn crashed out in the slalom. Only Julia Mancuso now has a chance to medal in every Women’s Alpine event in this Winter Olympic Games.

Today’s medal landed Julia in very fine company, making her only the fifth American woman to win two alpine skiing medals in the same Olympic Winter Games – a feat that hasn’t happened since 1964.

Mancuso races on Saturday in the Super G, and Wednesday of next week in the Giant Slalom, the event where she won Gold in the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics.

Julia Mancuso, wears an assortment of Kaenon’s women’s sunglasses representing sports, lifetsyle and luxury performance styles such as Calais, Burnet, Georgia, Zaza, Leila and Joss.

Don’t party yet, Jules … rest up, we think you’ll be the first American woman to go four-for-four!

Congratulations to Julia Mancuso who is now the most decorated female American Olympic Alpine Skier with 3 Medals!

WINTER OLYMPICS: VANCOUVER 2010

Kaenon Polarized Kaenon is thrilled to share that Olympic skier Julia Mancuso just this morning claimed her second consecutive Olympic medal in the Women’s Downhill in Whistler, British Columbia. Taking the silver Wednesday, she won the gold medal for giant slalom in the 2006 Torino Games.

Sporting Black Opal Leila’s by Kaenon Polarized in the Winner’s Circle, it was a tense 15 minutes or so for Julia Mancuso Wednesday in Vancouver during the much anticipated Women’s Downhill after she posted the fastest time of the day. While TV camera’s focused on her jubilation after her run, Julia slid on her Leila’s and had to wait, skier, after skier to see if her time would stick.

Leading the field from early on with a blazing time of 1:44.75, Julia set the early pace. She held the lead until US teammate and childhood rival Lindsey Vonn, the 16th skier down the hill, put up a time of 1:44.19.

The Americans held a clearly dominant position in a race characterized by several crashes — including one to Swedish standout Anja Paerson

Mancuso’s finish of just 0.56 seconds behind the heavily favored Vonn proved that she is still very much a force to be reckoned with on the snow—especially when it counts. Elisabeth Goergl of Austria took the bronze medal, 1.46 seconds back.

It’s the third time two Americans have finished 1-2 in an Olympic Alpine race, and the first time in 26 years.

Many heartfelt congratulations to Julia and the US Ski Team!

Julia Mancuso wears an assortment of Kaenon’s women’s sunglasses representing sports, lifetsyle and luxury performance styles such as Calais, Burnet, Georgia, Zaza, Leila and as shown above, Joss.

As written in the Associated Press wrap up story, “At the finish, Mancuso knew right away she had done something special and let out a big scream of delight, pumped her right fist and showed a big smile. Then she put on a pair of black sunglasses (Leila Black G12)and waited for the favorites to come down.”

Many heartfelt congratulations to Julia and the US Ski Team!

PERFORMANCE TRAINING

Julia Mancuso is known for her playful personality and intense skill. Check out how she effortlessly blends both attributes in this video on her training routine.

Julia Mancuso wears Calais, Burnet, Georgia, Zaza and Leila