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University of Utah computer science major and regular Ski.Utah.Edu contributor Jake Kirshner (of JakeCast fame) is one of Microsoft’s five finalists to cover the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. But, to win, he needs your vote!

Not only does Jake deserve this chance because he attends the university with the Greatest Snow (and skiing) on Earth, but his HelmetCast video blogs are truly phenomenal. See below:

HelmetCast 12 from Jake Kirshner on Vimeo.

Well, it’s officially preseason in Utah, but the lines between real life and winter are beginning to blur. The second class gets out, I turn to photo and shred mode, and come Monday, I wonder why I have to bust a** so hard on-campus all week.

Spirits are high as this transition occurs, and Brighton has been open for almost a week (as of postdate), with new terrain (Crest Express) opening Wed., Nov. 18.

This past weekend was spent riding Brighton, and then when a storm hit on Saturday and didn’t let up until the wee hours of Sunday, a few calls were made and the next thing I knew I was hiking up Alta (THE BEST PRESEASON HIKING FOR POW) with a good crew and handful of camera gear.

On north facing aspects the snow was more or less bottomless as long as you could read what was shallow and what was filled in. This here is a collection of my preseason shred, including a recon “snow” camping mission [top photo] in Big Cottonwood Canyon, opening weekend at Brighton, and some 2,000 odd vertical feet of hiking at Alta.

The snow has finally started to fall in the Wasatch Front, and while some are sitting and drooling waiting for those lifts to open, others can’t even wait for a decent coverage. I’ve had the chance to catch up with a few of those people.

The leaves were just beginning to change in late September when our first accumulation of snow was recorded. Some friends and I made our way up to Brighton to have some fun and get used to having those skis under our feet again. Jumping off large random objects is one way to start the season right…

The “Milly Tubes” also make for a large jib in the early season…..Eric Balken lays claim

Ski and snowboard fiends were getting very antsy after some midweek storms dumped an upwards of two feet in the Cottonwood Canyons. And then Ski Utah had to go out and release their “Best Of” footage from last year’s season. Take a deep breath, powderhounds — we’ve only got three weeks til open. Can’t wait? Strap on the skins and hike up.