SLACKCOUNTRY CUP 8 | BALDY MOUNTAIN RESORT
The last time we gathered at Baldy the world was filled with uncertainty. Society was starting to shut down and shift into panic mode. Many things have changed in the 24 months since the last in-person Slackcountry Cup, but there was one constant, the undeniable urge to gather with like-minded shredders and celebrate our love for Snowboarding.
Words + Photos | Stephen Hare
RV's travelled from the west, some as far away as Snoqualmie, WA. One by one thirty plus 4x4 campers paraded into the overflow lot at Baldy Mountain until a new Municipality was incorporated—Slacktown, BC. The population swelled quickly to 69 citizens and ruffly (pun intended) 20 four-legged residents. High-fives were slapped, Pabst cans were crushed, and life-long friends were made. We were off to an encouraging start.
Saturday morning, the natural slopestyle took place in a new location on the mountain. This year mother nature challenged the Okanagan with lower tides and month-long droughts, so the boys had to embellish the features to ensure we had a course that was fit for all different levels of riders in attendance. Once underway, riders took to the course quickly, and the bar was set. The snow was sporty and challenged riders throughout the day, but the 70+ boarders didn't let that extinguish the stoke and good vibes that hummed throughout the day.
Revelstoke ripper Siobhan Coughlan took the top spot on the ladies' side. She laid down two flawless runs, including spinning frontside and backside 3's off of the "Juicy Beluga" showtime kicker at the bottom of the course. Top spot earned her $500, a Ride snowboard, and many other prizes. Siobhan's score was strong enough to place her firmly on the podium in the men's category as well. Speaking of the men's side, Revelstoke's Andrew Jackson laid down a full pull, including a sizeable Cab 5 off of the Juicy Beluga, but in the end was outdone by the stylish riding of Nelson's Nigel Ziegler. Nigel was a stand-out throughout the contest and deservedly took first, $500 in cash, a new Ride Snowboard and swag from our sponsors.
Click HERE for the full results
Sunday morning came quicker than expected as we forgot about daylight savings, sorry riders! With a freshly installed hangover thanks to our friends at Pabst Blue Ribbon, 11 competitors chose to enter the 3rd annual splitboard race. Riders were to ascend Baldy to the top of Eagle Chair, make their transition and ride back to the lodge. Baldy's own Nick Padoin blazed ahead of the pack and returned to the lodge with a 5-minute cushion on the next closest gentlemen. Lauren Kyryluk took the top spot in the ladies' field with a nearly 7-minute buffer between her and Salmo's Bee Nikula.
While the splitboarder's caught their breath we took time to acknowledge that a lot of this would never have been possible without snowboard pioneer Jake Burton Carpenter. Since day two of the Slackcountry Cup landed on #adayforJake we thought it was fitting that we honour him with a group shred. We amassed every shredder on the mountain for a wolf pack the likes Baldy has never seen. One run turned to two, then three…. The Sun was out, and the vibes were at an all-time high. We didn't want this to end!
Many of us can't wait until we can gather again. In the meantime, we trade war stories and count the days till next March. See you Slackers for number 9... in the Baldy bar :)
More Event Photos Click Here
Slackcountry Cup would like to thank the Baldy Mountain Community, Ride Snowboards, Nitro Snowboards, K2 Snowboards, One Boardshop, Autumn Headwear, L1 Premium Goods, Howl Gloves, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Spy Optic and of course the best damn snowboard magazine, King Snow.
