Slackcountry Cup 12 | Event Recap

Words Baylan McGraw | Photos Noelle Beaver

The most honest way I can describe the snowboard community is that we’re like a group of people who all have the same favourite band. And if snowboarding is our band, then Slackcountry Cup is our Woodstock. That’s right, I said it. Slackcountry Cup is the Woodstock of snowboarding. It’s a far and wide pilgrimage, year after year, to celebrate what we love in a raw, for-the-people format, with Baldy Mountain Resort as the main stage.

Unlike most resorts chasing the dream of selling out and becoming the next Whistler, Baldy is charmingly frozen in time. Log cabins with no TVs (seriously), a one-stop shop lodge/warming hut/cafeteria/restaurant/bar, two chairlifts, and a magic carpet park. That’s all you get, and that’s all you need. Baldy’s pure simplicity and locals-only energy is incredibly refreshing in an era where snowboarding has become inundated with culture vultures, influencers, and Instagram brands.

Baylan McGraw charging ahead of Hayden Edward during the Head to Head Slalom Race.

As we rolled up unpaved roads in this low tide season, the conditions unsurprisingly looked bleak for the weekend ahead. The one thing we could count on was that, on arrival, we were all mainlining into the heartbeat of our scene. Slackcountry is the peak example of a ‘by-riders-for-riders’ gathering that most of us will likely come across. Start times are guidelines (at best), the formats are as loose as old park boots, and each event taps into a completely different riding style. It’s truly an ‘anybody’s game’ weekend. You could call it a contest… but that feels way too serious. Despite being in its 12th year, this event still has a very core ‘if you know you know’ aura surrounding it. Every year you see a lot of the same riders, and first-timers all have the same look on their face–like they’ve just discovered something special.

The weekend started off beautifully. As the first pow dump most of us had seen in months made its way overhead, an eclectic crew of newbies, try-hards, and has-beens all gathered at the day lodge to pick up bibs, sign waivers, and get ready for the first challenge: the fabled Splitboard Race. Snow-coated granola bladers kicked off the race by breaking down their setups, chucking on skins, and huffing their way to the top of the Eagle chair (with a mandatory mid-station PBR thrown in the mix). Equal parts exhausted and excited, riders reached the top, then converted to downhill mode and blasted to the bottom. Colin Marth was the first to cross the line (and crush another PBR) with Hayden Orton and Rob Winning coming in hot on his heels, while Laura Munro took the top spot for the ladies.

Colin Marth throwing on his pack as he blazes out of the gates on his way to victory in the Splitboard Race.

Keeping the need for speed alive, everyone regrouped at the top of the Sugarlump chair for the second event, the Head-to-Head Banked Slalom. As the clouds made way for sunny blue skies, ‘race officials’ left it up to the riders to size each other up and pick our own dance partners as we started the elimination rounds. A crushing of corners, beers, and dreams unfolded, battle after battle, until there were only 3 men and 3 women left standing. Laura Munro came in blazing for her second win of the weekend, taking the top spot in the women’s category. After barely escaping a hectic collision on one of the final corners, Baylan McGraw made it first over the line (pardon the self props), with Lee Coulthard and Jordan Phillips taking 2nd and 3rd place. It foreshadowed the overall podium lineup, unbeknownst to us.

Erik Gelling and the Paparazzi in hot pursuit of the top three racers: Lee Coulthard, Baylan McGraw, and Jordan Philips.

Once the dust settled, riders regrouped at the magic carpet park for the Rail Jam setup that Transition Industries finalized only hours prior. Unlike the events leading up to it, the rail jam was a whole different kind of battle. Dead legs and an early morning kept things honest as riders put down their best jibs to secure the bag, cash-bash style. After what felt like the world’s longest hour, Jordan Phillips and Laura Munro came out on top with fists full of $20s and a whole lot of props for landing so many hammers following a grand-prix morning of back-to-back races.

Lee Coulthard getting shot out of the canon rail during the Saturday Night Rail Jam.

Cooked, but not too cooked, a handful of us crawled to the Baldy Bar (as per Slackcountry Saturday night tradition) for some celebratory frosties and dance moves before packing it in and resetting our legs before Sunday’s final Slopestyle event.

Jordan Phillips putting on a clinic during the Sunday Slopestyle.

It feels more like a hungover afternoon of sunny hot laps with the homies, sprinkled with unfiltered colour commentary, and very little fucks to be found.

The Slackcountry Slopestyle is always a riot. Transition Industries worked through the night to migrate features from the rail jam area to the slopestyle course, handing us a silver-platter setup of tree jibs, park jumps, side hits, an array of steel to slide, and a mandatory hip (with a far from regulation height meter). This event is the complete opposite of the average Slopestyle’s intense and regimented vibe. It feels more like a hungover afternoon of sunny hot laps with the homies, sprinkled with unfiltered colour commentary, and very little fucks to be found. At one point, 9 of us decided to drop in all at once, just because we could. Did the judges keep up? Who cares! If I had to pick one moment from the weekend that properly captures the energy of Slackcountry Cup, that would be it. After all was said and done, the top spots went to Ellis Geernart for the women and Lee Coulthard for the men.

King Jordan Phillips enjoys a delicious taste of victory.

From there it was on to the official coronation of this year’s King and Queen, and the ceremonial crushing of the weekend’s final PBRs from the historic wooden Slackcountry Cups.

3rd place overall Kenrae Dorsey (left) with Slopestyle champ Ellis Geernart (right).

Before we wrap this up, let’s just remember that the Slackcountry Cup isn’t a contest. That’s not the takeaway here. It’s a gathering. It’s our Woodstock. And the point isn’t really about winning anything. The victory is simply in showing up (so corny, I know). Just remember–if you show up, and if you win–make sure to stick around for the coronation ceremony to collect your loot. If you don’t, there’s a good chance your prize money’s getting spent at the Baldy Bar…

Slackcountry 12 Overall Winners

  • King - Jordan Phillips
  • 2nd - Baylan McGraw
  • 3rd Lee Coulthard

 

  • Queen - Laura Munro
  • 2nd - Ellis Geernart
  • 3rd - Kenrae Dorsey

 

  • Grom - Breckin Willment

Splitboard Race

  • Top Male - Colin Marth ~ 47 minutes

  • Top Female - Laura Munro ~ 57 minutes

Head-to-Head Banked Slalom

  • Fastest Male - Baylan McGraw

  • Fastest Female - Laura Munro

Rail Jam

  • Men’s - Jordan Phillips

  • Women’s - Laura Munro

Slopestyle

  • Men’s - Lee Coulthard
  • Women’s - Ellis Geernart
  • Grom - Leo Munns

Outstanding Slacker Award

  • Hayden Orton

Workhorse Award

  • Elissa Fordyce

Big thanks to all the sponsors: Ride, Nitro , K2 , United Shapes, Stoke the Fire Hot Sauce, Beaver Wax, Freeride Boardshop, Pabst, Autumn, Howl, L1 Premium Outerwear, Society Snow and Skate, Roark, Ripping Giraffe Boardshop, Eivy

 

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