ONE AND DONE

Words Baylan McGraw |  Cover Photo Mat Wanbon | Other Photos Noelle Beaver 

There’s a layer of mysticism about spring park sessions that seem to offer some of the greatest energy you can experience as a snowboarder. After a full season of riding, just as your legs are getting dead and boots are blowing out, spring has an unwavering ability to wipe the slate clean and start what feels like a whole new season. Rarely seen pow-hounds emerge from the alpine to dust off their old jib boards, local legends come out of retirement for nostalgic slushy turns, and park rats receive their interim promotions as kings and queens of the mountain. But why do spring sessions seem to have that special something we can’t find elsewhere?

Is it because we feel like we’re riding on borrowed time? The warm weather wardrobe options? The influx of new and old friends making the journey sneak in a few extra laps? That we’re no longer battling normies for parking spots? The slushy snow confidence placebo? Whatever it is, it feels like school’s out because the teachers went on strike—nothing but free time until getting called back to class. And maybe that’s the ticket… An unwavering need to be present with each moment, each session, and each make, because we know we’ll be going back to the real world soon.

Lee Coulthard. Switch Back Blunt 270.

Regardless of all that, for riders who grew up in the Okanagan and BC’s interior, it’s unquestionably because this is all new to us. Our season typically comes to a screeching halt in early April, which has always felt odd - like our resorts were operated by golfers who didn’t crave ‘just one more’ like the rest of us. With plenty of post-season leftovers to be had, for years we’ve ventured back to empty resorts with our fate in one hand and shovels in the other to set up jibs and jumps until the snow finally melted away. That is, until last year, when Spring Queening came along. Our call for more was finally answered.

It truly didn’t feel real when SilverStar first rolled out their spring park program - aptly named Spring Queening - with two full lanes jam packed with features under the Silver Queen chair. With unfathomably affordable spring passes, we basked in four weeks of bliss as we finally rode out the season until the end of April. We had the mountain to ourselves - our own parking lot, chairlift, and day lodge - while the rest of the world went shopping for flip flops and board shorts. 

With most riders accustomed to the Whistler or Sunshine pilgrimage, the Spring Queening’s first year had a respectable turnout, but it was mostly made up of locals who delayed real world responsibilities to max out on bonus laps. This was our first time getting a taste of that opportunity, and we lapped it right up. This year? The word got out. And we couldn’t be more stoked.

Ben Herron, Frontside 360 Indy. 

The parking lot became our rally point for camping, morning high-fives, post-session lawn chair circles, and sunset tailgating. As new crews rolled through week after week from all reaches of Western Canada to get in on the hype, the chairs were full every day. It was an insane month of hike sessions around every corner, more follow-cams than you can fathom, Nothing In the Pantry’s female focused Gathering Grounds build and contest, a slalom race day with hundreds of riders in attendance, and a closing weekend with ONE Boardshop handing out over $10k in prizes at the Park Bucks jam, video contest premiere night, and best trick triple header. If this year taught us anything, it’s that spring boarding is finally alive and well in the sunny Okanagan Valley–and that we’d do anything it takes to help keep it that way.

Best Trick winners and ONE crew (winners marked with *). Back Row: Hayden Orton, Baylan McGraw, Maddox Lishman*, Wyatt Anderson*, Amyu Sasaki*, Laura Lucas*, Nikki Lorentz*. Front Row: Jadon Wiffen*, Jonah Marvin.

In the lift line we overheard a Sunshine local who couldn’t have said it better: “This is the best spring park I’ve ever been to.” So, as we hang up our boots and attempt to re-integrate with regular society until next season, take a moment to enjoy One & Done–ONE Boardshop’s love letter to Spring Queening - and start planning to get in on it next year.

Check out all the entires from the Spring Queening Film Contest here.