This is allegedly the best time of year for winter
enthusiasts; the extreme games have just ended and the world is nearing the
destination on the “Road to Sochi”. Snowboarding, along with winter-biathlon,
has the spotlight fixed upon itself and we are about to see more corks flying
through the air than at a Nate Bozung New Year’s party. This is sure to be a
highly entertaining couple of weeks in Russia…well at least for the masses.
This weekend, many of snowboarding’s most recognizable
(and least recognizable, yet just as important) figures will be in the state of
Washington instead of Sochi to be a part of The Legendary Banked Slalom. The
general public, who perceive neon green claw marks and boot grabs to be
representative of “real” snowboarding, might not understand why so many riders
would choose to attend an event that celebrates the simple act of making turns down
a mountain; an art that seems foreign to many these days. However, the LBS is
more than just a few timed turns. It is about industry folk, up-and-comers and
living legends competing (and having fun) side by side, showcasing the very
soul of snowboarding without arbitrary judgment of the event or some rigged
internet voting system. Just the rider, a slew of berms and the clock, which is
especially refreshing in an Olympic year where, as usual, the games are mired
in controversy and corruption (again, Terje was right).
While some events, like the Baker Banked, have been
around for what seems like forever, lately it seems like banked slalom events
have been popping up all over the country, even on the grassroots level. It is
reassuring to see the next generation of riders, pro, am and grom, getting
excited about these events. Beyond the slaloms, it is nice to see events like
the Vans Hi-Standard Series “Style is Everything” competition that was held a
couple weeks ago at Brighton, where style is recognized and rewarded. The cries
from people grumbling (sometimes excitedly) that these snowboard-only events
are part of what is “killing” snowboarding are bizarre and ironic, after all, these
events seem to be making snowboarding stronger on multiple fronts. On one end,
the “aging” population of snowboarders is stoked to be able to compete right
next to someone less than half their age. The other, is that these events are
instilling what snowboarding was meant to be about in the future generations of
riders.
By all means, this is was not written with the intention
to take anything away from the high level of skill and giant balls it takes to
pop twenty-plus feet out of a monster pipe, or go all out on the (apparently
sketchy) slopestyle course. There are even some riders (Thank you, Sage and Danny!) who are bringing a little soul back into those events. The intent is to remind folks that there is, and
always has been, MUCH more to snowboarding than the world gets to see every
four years. So, if you already know this, I hope you can appreciate the article
and pass it on to a friend in need.
Here's just a small taste of what these rad events are like:
Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom 2013 from Lib Tech on Vimeo.
Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom 2013 from Lib Tech on Vimeo.
