Get Real

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.