For the past few years I have written off rail jams altogether.  Harbored in the den known as Mt. Baker, I have had little desire to travel to other resorts just to wait in line to hit man-made jibs.  However, I received a call from Nitro Snowboard’s Ryan Garvie, who explained to me that this event would be different, and that I should make it down to the Summit at Snoqualmie to check it out.  With all the other resorts in the area closed (besides Alpental), I headed south on I-5 without any sort of expectations at all.

Upon arrival at Summit West, it was dark and dreary.  However, Krush’s park crew put together quite the colorful set up with kinked rails painted like the Mexican flag, propane tank bonks, and even a rainbow box painted to look like a taco.  After a quick breakfast at the pancake house we arrived back to a contest that was packed full of groms, ams, and industry folk alike.  With no entry-fee, and no real format, the contest ended up unfolding into a full-on jam session.  Tired of seeing the same old tricks on the rails, Austin Smith made the call that anyone who could back-lip the down-flat-down bar before he could would get the snowboard off his feet.  The kids were stoked to be shredding with, and trying the same trick as Austin.  After several tries by several individuals, the back-lip was greased and it wasn’t by the guy who gets paid to snowboard. Austin graciously handed over his deck.  Several other tricks were called out over the microphone and prizes were given away accordingly.

Other highlights included a taco bar in the base area, kids going crazy for free Ashbury shades, and Garvie’s mom’s buckets of margaritas.  The usual suspects were surpassing expectations. Bart Patitucci, Yudo Kurita, Hironaka, Sweetin, and everyone else you would expect to throw down, were all there killing it.  More of a fiesta than a competition, this event was definitely a good time.  I even found myself unable to stop hiking the rails in effort to get a trick I haven’t done in years.  

Thanks to Nitro, Ashbury, Spacecraft, Zumiez, Grenade, Skullcandy, and the Summit-at-Snoqualmie for throwing this event.  

Photos: Greg Miller @ http://blog.frostlinephotography.com

01 Austin Hironaka

02 Yudo Kurita