There are few contests in snowboarding that create legends, stories and memories like the Legendary Banked Slalom at Mt Baker. The backdrop of the Shuksan overlooks the banked course with a stacked list of riders competing for duct tape and the ultimate riders contest. All types of riders from parks, pipes and pow compete for the best times and turns of the weekend and the chance to be recognized by peers and friends.
This was my first Legendary Banked Slalom and I couldn’t believe that I’d waited this long to be part of something so amazing and to see the best riders in snowboarding in such a close knit environment. I headed up with Aimee and Gorio after crashing with a bunch of industry friends in Glacier the night before. It was rad to be able to watch so many familiar faces ride the course after hearing about it.
Saturday was eye opening and I actually kept my camera in my pocket during the qualifiers. At the top of the course I stood there listening to the riders being called out, one after the other and all recognizeable hard charging pros in snowboarding. From the smooth Josh Dirksen to the charging Laura Hadar to the legendary Barrett Christy and Terje. It was amazing to see the assortment of riders in one location on the same run.
Everyone has a great view at the Banked Slalom, the fences around the course were the whole way down so you could watch from any angle you wanted. All eyes on the drop, stay low and stay up…that was qualifiers on Saturday.
The most rewarding experience was seeing Kevin Pearce take to the Banked Slalom course. It’s so great to see him back on the board, riding and just having a good time doing it.
One of the first people I met in Mammoth was Maribeth Swetkoff and it was rad to see her familiar face at the Banked Slalom.
Like most people, I had only seen Terje ride in videos, photos and ads but never in person. That finally changed on Saturday.
After the riding was done, it was time for the Salmon BBQ at the base of the mountain. For $8, you got a full plate for salmon, mashers and deliciousness. It was a good pair to the Full Sail beer on hand in the beer garden. You could stay warm near the fires and heaters while the quarterpipe was being sessioned near the base.
