Just wanted to send a shout out that you can see all of the action from the 2008 Stihl Colorado Freeride Championships and The Silver King Freeride comp, as riders put their skills to the test and huck their brains out at www.snowboardfreeridetour.com. If you have never been to a freeride contest check out the next level of progression in Snpowboarding. And check out Sudsy's Blog for results from the comps and the tour.

Crystal Mountain, Washington was the setting for the 6th annual SilverKing Freeride Competition. The SilverKing is an impressive 1200 Vert Peak with a spine of rock down the middle of the venue, allowing the riders to find tight steep chutes, Rocks to pop off of, or an elevated snowfield with a mandatory 40 footer for an exit. The conditions were less than ideal because it had rained to the top of the mountain then got cold and started snowing. Day 1 for the riders was taking place on the Snorting Elk Bowl, a 500 vertical foot venue with tight tree chutes at the top approaching 60 degrees some big rocks up top and a technical rock section on the right and tight trees to small cliffs to the left. There was about 3 inches of fresh on top of the hockey rink for the competitors.

This Weekend is the 7th edition of the Freeride championships on Snowmass in the Hanging Valley Wall and The Burn Cliffs. The final should be a huckfest as this season has caked the cliffs and today we woke up to 16 inches of blown in powder. The venues are closed and should prove ideal for the comp. Come check it out. Come compete. Sign up at Aspensnowmass.com. For pictures of the venues log on to Sudsy's Blog at www.snowboardfreeridetour.com

What's up everybody. Got the word from John Barci and Justin Erickson that registration is open for The Stihl Colorado Freeride Championships at Snowmass(Feb. 29-Mar. 2)and the Silverking Freeride Contest from Crystal Mtn. Washington Mar. (13-16) which happen to be the 1st two stops of The North American Snowboard Freeride Tour. For info about regisration go to www.snowboardfreeridetour.com or go to www.aspensnowmass.com and www.crystalmt.com/

Hey all you freeriders out there. Just want to inform EVERYONE that the start of this winters Freeride competitions Kicks off in 4 days at Mammoth Mtn. The tour is offering $300,000 in cash and prizes. Then it is less than a month til the 1st freeride snowboard comp to be held in Utah at Snowbird. February 29 starts the North American Freeride tour for Snowboards held in the Burn Cliffs on Snowmass,Co. For pics of the Colorado venue and pics and video of athletes check out www.snowboardfreeridetour.com and go to Sudsy's Blog

The first stop of the North American Freeride Tour is shaping up. Over 6 feet of wet heavy snow has caked Snowmass and set a base for the Burn Cliffs. I have posted the first pics of the Venue and you can tell how gnarly the terrain is at www.snowboardfreeridetour.com Still looking for riders for the tour. If you have any interest in competing contact me at dave@snowboardfreeridetour.com. The future is now and and big Mountain freeriding is here.
Who's down

There will be no snowboards present for the 2008 North American Freeride Championships. After being a part of the comp since it was started in the mid nineties the organizers decided they are to busy to deal with it end of story. What are they tinking

S

My tour of the west began on my 39th birthday March 20, 2007. That was the day I flew to Portland, Oregon to hook up with my sister and some friends. But the story really begins 3 weeks before on March 2, the 1st day of the Stihl Colorado Freeride championships. This is the first Freeride comp of the season for snowboarders. I tell people that I compete in Freeride comps and they look at me funny. Then I say "Ya it used to be called Extreme" as I throw up two fingers on each side of my head in quotations when I say the word extreme. Sometimes they still don't get it so I say "you know steeps and cliffs" at which point they wince and tell me I am nuts. In some ways I may be nuts but not when it comes to riding. I first saw a snowboard as a freshman in college while on a college ski trip to Squaw Valley U.S.A. in 1988. Having grown up at the beach surfing It was a natural match. In 1995 I moved to Snowmass Village, Colorado for the winter. Since then it's been 130 days plus every year with the exception of 2000 which I spent with a blown out knee. The Freeride comp came to my attention in 2002 when the Stihl Colorado Freeride Comp moved from Berthoud Pass to Snowmass.