BY DC CUEVA
Last September, a special postseason episode of that new Fear Factor pitted four Challenge icons: Bananas, Leroy, Aneesa & Laurel — versus four people who, like the British imports who have made a huge mark in Spain, were relative unknowns to most of us. This was because their show hadn't aired just yet, even though there was just a brief taste of it in a promo during last year's Video Music Awards when their show actually had a different title. The foursome who made their MTV debuts before the autumn equinox were no match for Team Challenge, and they didn't make it to the Final Fear and a shot at the $50,000 - which the guys eventually won.
Now in the midst of the winter, those four who we saw in the SoCal sun are now ready to show us what they're really made of in their natural, ideal environment, in a much different climate. They and the rest of the cast live for the thrill of shredding it on the powder on the slopes with those skis & snowboards like so many of us who've been watching the Winter Olympics all this month along with The Bachelor Winter Games, all around Vendettas and Celebrity Big Brother. They are anxious to party like gold medalists and ready to kill it on the slopes, and what better place for this to go down then in a village three hours north of America's largest metropolis.
If you enjoyed Floribama, are anxious for the Jersey OG's return in over a month, and/or wanting something house-based to fill that Real World void, you might've found the ideal candidate. And as a grand Olympiad in Korea has come to an end, tonight the focus of the year's coldest season will turn from the slopes of PyeongChang across the ocean to the mountains of New York State, as we take offer The Look at MTV's cooler hybrid of Jersey Shore and all things snow & ice: Winter Break: Hunter Mountain.
For those in New York City and the Tri-State Area anxious for some fun in the snow, a 2- to 3-hour drive up north takes those from Manhattan into the Catskill Mountains. There, they'll encounter a region and large mountain range where the highest point is a fire lookout tower 4,000 feet above sea level. And down below is a resort town that turns this small village in the Hudson Valley into a hub of activity and thousands flooding in to clog up the highways every weekend during the winter, and hiking & biking trails during the summer as well as a country music festival.
In the late 1950's, local businessmen realized that tourism in the Catskills was declining, but also understood the increasing popularity of winter sports and more & more people taking up skiing. They came up with the idea of creating a ski resort area to boost visitation during the winter… since then, Hunter Mountain has become one of the most renowned ski resorts in New York State. Three mountains in this area offer 240 acres and nearly 60 runs for the public to shred it, but if you're an expert at this you probably won't find suitable terrain to practice to be on the next Olympic team.
It is also a pioneer in a universally recognized practice of snowmaking: it was one of the first places to produce snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a snow cannon to improve snow cover. And Hunter Mountain was the first resort anywhere to deploy this technology of making artificial snow from top to bottom with total coverage at every point in between. Along with snowboarding and skiing, snow tubing and snowshoeing is also available so everyone from young kids to pros can have fun in the snow, and freestyle events are also held in Hunter Mountain.
Four years ago — and as was noted by the New York Daily News back then, the creators of Jersey Shore and its recent & successful Floribama spinoff, SallyAnn Salsano's 495 Productions, sent out a casting notice for a pilot called Turn Up the Heat. Its goal: bring its successful playbook it has utilized many times in summer weather to a different & cooler climate and to, of all things, a ski resort on the East Coast and away from the beaches and the sand.
The message that was sent out to those prospective candidates wanting to spend time in this resort setting and spending time in a cabin with MTV cameras documenting their every move read, "You partied with us all summer on the shore, and now we’re back to redefine winter. This is the invitation you’ve been waiting for. The team that brought you 'Jersey Shore' is coming back and you already know how hot the party is gonna be, even on ice."
It wasn't until a few years later that this wintertime version of the Shore was given the green light, and it was last year that this show was filmed... yes, it's been a full 12 months of them waiting for the right time for this to finally make air in a world where a first look at Vendettas got dropped on us just as soon as we recuperated from Dirty 30. And those who've been inspired by what we saw in Korea the past two weeks as well as those from The Bachelor both stateside and overseas also trying out winter sports, those who we saw face off against snakes and consume a nauseous drink mix are now ready to welcome us to their world.
That world happens to be the East Coast, where this time of year it becomes known as the "Ice Coast," with snow on the ground in most of the U.S. and, as show's description notes, "the party moves from the beach to the mountains. Serving as a rite of passage for young people who want to get away for a winter break, Hunter Mountain is an idyllic ski resort that offers twentysomethings the chance to escape their regular lives, ski and snowboard their hearts & brains out and party & mingle with other like-minded singles."
The casted bunch of eight strangers who've been brought together for this latest social experiment which, as the promos for this show suggest, will be in for a case of cabin fever.
❄️TJ hails from just north of Worcester, MA, and as someone who's been boarding since he was 6 he always looks forward to when the snow starts to fall in November. TJ's passion for activities designed to get the adrenaline flowing aren't limited to the winter: this former Active U.S. Army scout loves to go cliff diving to keep himself busy during the summer.
Winter Break isn't the first time MTV has brought its brand of reality TV to the winter slopes: in 2014, Slednecks documented a group of eleven friends who call Alaska home. They also shared the Hunter Mountain gang's love of winter but also channeled the outrageous spirit of Buckwild, where they rode an airboat through the Alaskan snow, had some BBQ on top of a glacier, and camped out in near freezing temperatures. And up north in the leadup to the Vancouver Winter Olympics, in 2009 MTV Canada's Peak Season traveled up to where the mountain events of those grand Games took place, Whistler, BC, as cameras focused on another tight-knit group of winter friends.
And along with Alessandra, Carissa, Marc and Jeff having to face off against Bananas and the 6-time champ returning the favor to help promote the show while being adorned in gold PJ's, this past week also saw them soak in being part of Team MTV for the first time. This past weekend after doing press up in New York (where they actually had a day with mid 70's summer like weather last week, if you can believe that), some of the cast drove down to Atlantic City and hung out with Gus, Nilsa and Kortni from Floribama Shore, as well as Challenger & AYTO alum Britni and Briana DeJesus from Teen Mom.
Personally, since I watched them hold their own against Team Challenge last fall, I've been awaiting watching the show formerly named Shredders, but like the cast had no idea of when it'll air. Now that it has landed both that same post-Challenge timeslot Fear Factor had last year, and premiering two days after the biggest winter festival of all, this show will take advantage of two things.
First, there's capitalizing on the interest in winter activities spurred by Shaun White, Chloe Kim, Mikaela Shiffrin, the women's hockey and men's curling teams, the Shib Sibs and Champs vs. Pros competitor Gus Kenworthy the past two weeks. Second, there's the momentum generated by what we saw with Gus, Kortni and their Floribama friends, and this very show serving as the bridge to the main event of the return of Sitch, Snooki and co. in April, and of bringing the formula of fun in the sun over to the mountains and in the snow. And as they say, bring it on.
After taking an escape to enjoy the biggest event in sports and the event I look forward to the most, I'm back in the groove of devoting all time to this site. As you know, the past two weeks on The Challenge Vendettas saw many twists and turns, but also during this time I've had something I've not had in a while: I missed important deadlines to publish their related episode posts. But, as I wrote here last week, the excuse for that is a valid one: during this time I have set aside the time where I would do blog work to focus on watching the aforementioned PyeongChang Winter Olympics which concluded on Sunday with an eclectic closing ceremony as the world waved farewell to South Korea.
Again, we want to apologize to those of you who didn't get all the action, reaction and interaction of both Episodes 7 and 8 in time before Challenge Tuesday. But do not worry a single bit: all the cast posts from both episodes have been archived, and now that the flame is extinguished we'll finally have the time to catch up on all of this missed work to compile all of that for a special Pulse doubleheader. That will come later this week before we bring you our look at tonight's episode in our traditional spot at the weekend on here, after we give everyone all the time to watch the episodes live or later, and then join us for our look at that during Oscars weekend.
In the meantime, I'll be live tweeting Winter Break along with The Challenge tonight on my live Twitter hub, DC NOW at @DC408DxNow, and you can join my Challenge talk at #DCChallenge. And as we did with Floribama Shore, DCBLOG will feature Winter Break as part of our weekly MTV coverage with an all-in-one post covering tomorrow's premiere to lead off this weekend's blog wave, proceeding our Challenge posts. Enjoy tonight's Double Shot, and we'll see you then.
- I AM DC
Now in the midst of the winter, those four who we saw in the SoCal sun are now ready to show us what they're really made of in their natural, ideal environment, in a much different climate. They and the rest of the cast live for the thrill of shredding it on the powder on the slopes with those skis & snowboards like so many of us who've been watching the Winter Olympics all this month along with The Bachelor Winter Games, all around Vendettas and Celebrity Big Brother. They are anxious to party like gold medalists and ready to kill it on the slopes, and what better place for this to go down then in a village three hours north of America's largest metropolis.
If you enjoyed Floribama, are anxious for the Jersey OG's return in over a month, and/or wanting something house-based to fill that Real World void, you might've found the ideal candidate. And as a grand Olympiad in Korea has come to an end, tonight the focus of the year's coldest season will turn from the slopes of PyeongChang across the ocean to the mountains of New York State, as we take offer The Look at MTV's cooler hybrid of Jersey Shore and all things snow & ice: Winter Break: Hunter Mountain.
 |
| Marc, Carissa (top), J-Breww & Alessandra (bot.) on Fear Factor |
In the late 1950's, local businessmen realized that tourism in the Catskills was declining, but also understood the increasing popularity of winter sports and more & more people taking up skiing. They came up with the idea of creating a ski resort area to boost visitation during the winter… since then, Hunter Mountain has become one of the most renowned ski resorts in New York State. Three mountains in this area offer 240 acres and nearly 60 runs for the public to shred it, but if you're an expert at this you probably won't find suitable terrain to practice to be on the next Olympic team.
It is also a pioneer in a universally recognized practice of snowmaking: it was one of the first places to produce snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a snow cannon to improve snow cover. And Hunter Mountain was the first resort anywhere to deploy this technology of making artificial snow from top to bottom with total coverage at every point in between. Along with snowboarding and skiing, snow tubing and snowshoeing is also available so everyone from young kids to pros can have fun in the snow, and freestyle events are also held in Hunter Mountain.
As much as Siesta Key is judged America's best beach, websites and publications share the same sentiment for Hunter Mountain as one of the country's top party mountains. Nearby Tannersville refers to itself by two names: the slopes are called the Dublin Slopes of Moguls, and the lodge area as "New York's Infamous Winter Party Destination." For the ladder, DJ's from the Hamptons and the Jersey Shore used to getting those wheels of steel on during the summer & spring break get an early start to their year by DJ'ing in Hunter.
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| Marc, Alessandra, J-Breww and Jillian (clockwise) |
The message that was sent out to those prospective candidates wanting to spend time in this resort setting and spending time in a cabin with MTV cameras documenting their every move read, "You partied with us all summer on the shore, and now we’re back to redefine winter. This is the invitation you’ve been waiting for. The team that brought you 'Jersey Shore' is coming back and you already know how hot the party is gonna be, even on ice."
It wasn't until a few years later that this wintertime version of the Shore was given the green light, and it was last year that this show was filmed... yes, it's been a full 12 months of them waiting for the right time for this to finally make air in a world where a first look at Vendettas got dropped on us just as soon as we recuperated from Dirty 30. And those who've been inspired by what we saw in Korea the past two weeks as well as those from The Bachelor both stateside and overseas also trying out winter sports, those who we saw face off against snakes and consume a nauseous drink mix are now ready to welcome us to their world.
 |
| TJ, Jillian, Sheen and Taylar (clockwise) |
Winter Break: Hunter Mountain, formerly titled Shredders, will see those who we saw on Fear Factor months ago – Marc, Carissa, J-Brew and Alessandra – take up residency in a share house with Jillian, Sheen, Taylar and TJ. All of them – East Coast natives with the exception of Cali girl Tay and half being Jersey natives – will move into that winter cabin for the season and will no doubt get connect over their need of wanting to get away for a bit for some time in the snow, as well as their common passion for the winter and the impact that even a dusting of snow can have on them.
Winter Break will feature everything we expect from MTV reality TV: there will be plenty of partying in the many gathering places in this resort town, and some love among the eight inhabitants of the cabin and the locals of this area. Perhaps, there might be some conflict arising here as well as the waterworks that could have the temperatures and tensions rising, just as it was when a night of dollar draft down in that Florida bar triggered a famous bar brawl in the Panama City night. And of course, there will be plenty of fun and lots of laughs... all with the sight of snowflakes and touch of winter that's just outside their front door.
Winter Break will feature everything we expect from MTV reality TV: there will be plenty of partying in the many gathering places in this resort town, and some love among the eight inhabitants of the cabin and the locals of this area. Perhaps, there might be some conflict arising here as well as the waterworks that could have the temperatures and tensions rising, just as it was when a night of dollar draft down in that Florida bar triggered a famous bar brawl in the Panama City night. And of course, there will be plenty of fun and lots of laughs... all with the sight of snowflakes and touch of winter that's just outside their front door.
The casted bunch of eight strangers who've been brought together for this latest social experiment which, as the promos for this show suggest, will be in for a case of cabin fever.
❄️TJ hails from just north of Worcester, MA, and as someone who's been boarding since he was 6 he always looks forward to when the snow starts to fall in November. TJ's passion for activities designed to get the adrenaline flowing aren't limited to the winter: this former Active U.S. Army scout loves to go cliff diving to keep himself busy during the summer.
❄️J-BREWW is a New Hampshire native who has been boarding since he was a kid, and if you check out his Instagram you'll know why he is always the life of the party. If him popping bottles in one of the teaser videos and battling a snake in that Fear Factor episode is proof, then Jeff is someone who loves to have a good time.
❄️ALESSANDRA from North Jersey is one who not only people watches in the lodge while sipping hot cocoa, if the EP's words on Jezebel is an indication she might also be that one who loves to tell it like it is. And if not for this excursion, we might've likely seen her at Lincoln Center than here: Alessandra toured Europe as part of a symphony orchestra playing the violin.
❄️ALESSANDRA from North Jersey is one who not only people watches in the lodge while sipping hot cocoa, if the EP's words on Jezebel is an indication she might also be that one who loves to tell it like it is. And if not for this excursion, we might've likely seen her at Lincoln Center than here: Alessandra toured Europe as part of a symphony orchestra playing the violin.
❄️JILLIAN from Manalapan, NJ – that same town that gave us Mike The Situation – is one who loves to day drink when it's snowing outside. It's safe to say that she is also the most well-traveled of the group: inked stamps from 16 different countries adorn her passport.
❄️SHEEN, who comes from Hoboken, NJ, is the only freestyle skier of the bunch and used to sharing close quarters with people like those he's living with share houses like these. And a fun fact about him: he once recorded a track that even showed up on streaming services.
❄️TAYLAR is the aforementioned Cali girl from Oroville just outside of Chico. She is so devoted to snowboarding that she says that she has sprained her ankles a plenty in her time on the boards. If the photo above is an indication, we might see a trip or two to the ER during our time in Hunter.
❄️MARC, a Bergenfield, NJ native (where a few of my relatives call home there), once was part of a cheerleading squad at Boston College, and has his eyes on the medical field. But having spent much more time studying, he is anxious to let loose in this winter paradise.
❄️CARISSA from Waterbury, CT is an only child who's done just about everything. She was a busy girl in high school and college, then landed a job as as a child protective services investigator and tending bar at a gay bar full of drag queens(!). Like Marc, Carissa looks forward to having fun.
Like anyone out east, creator and executive producer Salsano has memories of spending summers down by the shore, and being in the mountain over the winter. She says of Winter Break, "I am so excited for the show to premiere. We hope to breathe new life into the mountain in the same way we did the shore. These types of situations are always a dice throw because you don’t know who you are dealing with. I love these kids and I've spent a lot of time with them, both on and off the set. They came in as strangers and left as good friends."
The Winter Break cast themselves parallel with their cousins down in Panama City Beach of being those who will move into the house tonight as total strangers to begin with, but each not only share a love of winter but also having common interests and similar backgrounds that will make for a house dynamic as raucous and as entertaining. And through this experience, they have become a second family of sorts who have nothing but love for each and every one in the house -- something you can't say about the dysfunctional Challenge community.
TJ says, "It’s gonna be an awesome show. It’s never been done before. It’s the first reality show in the middle of winter." Jillian adds, "From the hookups to the drama and the craziness of the fighting, everything about it was a roller-coaster. These people are going to be friends I will have for a lifetime." Marc concurs, "We just wanted to have a great time, and it made this experience the best time ever."
TJ says, "It’s gonna be an awesome show. It’s never been done before. It’s the first reality show in the middle of winter." Jillian adds, "From the hookups to the drama and the craziness of the fighting, everything about it was a roller-coaster. These people are going to be friends I will have for a lifetime." Marc concurs, "We just wanted to have a great time, and it made this experience the best time ever."
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| Castmates from Floribama Shore and Winter Break (Snapchat) |
And along with Alessandra, Carissa, Marc and Jeff having to face off against Bananas and the 6-time champ returning the favor to help promote the show while being adorned in gold PJ's, this past week also saw them soak in being part of Team MTV for the first time. This past weekend after doing press up in New York (where they actually had a day with mid 70's summer like weather last week, if you can believe that), some of the cast drove down to Atlantic City and hung out with Gus, Nilsa and Kortni from Floribama Shore, as well as Challenger & AYTO alum Britni and Briana DeJesus from Teen Mom.
Personally, since I watched them hold their own against Team Challenge last fall, I've been awaiting watching the show formerly named Shredders, but like the cast had no idea of when it'll air. Now that it has landed both that same post-Challenge timeslot Fear Factor had last year, and premiering two days after the biggest winter festival of all, this show will take advantage of two things.
First, there's capitalizing on the interest in winter activities spurred by Shaun White, Chloe Kim, Mikaela Shiffrin, the women's hockey and men's curling teams, the Shib Sibs and Champs vs. Pros competitor Gus Kenworthy the past two weeks. Second, there's the momentum generated by what we saw with Gus, Kortni and their Floribama friends, and this very show serving as the bridge to the main event of the return of Sitch, Snooki and co. in April, and of bringing the formula of fun in the sun over to the mountains and in the snow. And as they say, bring it on.
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
After taking an escape to enjoy the biggest event in sports and the event I look forward to the most, I'm back in the groove of devoting all time to this site. As you know, the past two weeks on The Challenge Vendettas saw many twists and turns, but also during this time I've had something I've not had in a while: I missed important deadlines to publish their related episode posts. But, as I wrote here last week, the excuse for that is a valid one: during this time I have set aside the time where I would do blog work to focus on watching the aforementioned PyeongChang Winter Olympics which concluded on Sunday with an eclectic closing ceremony as the world waved farewell to South Korea.
Again, we want to apologize to those of you who didn't get all the action, reaction and interaction of both Episodes 7 and 8 in time before Challenge Tuesday. But do not worry a single bit: all the cast posts from both episodes have been archived, and now that the flame is extinguished we'll finally have the time to catch up on all of this missed work to compile all of that for a special Pulse doubleheader. That will come later this week before we bring you our look at tonight's episode in our traditional spot at the weekend on here, after we give everyone all the time to watch the episodes live or later, and then join us for our look at that during Oscars weekend.
In the meantime, I'll be live tweeting Winter Break along with The Challenge tonight on my live Twitter hub, DC NOW at @DC408DxNow, and you can join my Challenge talk at #DCChallenge. And as we did with Floribama Shore, DCBLOG will feature Winter Break as part of our weekly MTV coverage with an all-in-one post covering tomorrow's premiere to lead off this weekend's blog wave, proceeding our Challenge posts. Enjoy tonight's Double Shot, and we'll see you then.
- I AM DC
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