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The North Face Masters SUPERPOST™
Photos: Colin Maycher This past weekend Snowbird played host to the inaugural North Face Masters big mountain snowboarding contest. You may have read the press release posted here yesterday but just in case here’s what really went down. Things were supposed to get started on Saturday, however, due to low to no visibility the comp was pushed to Sunday… a good call to say the least. Can you say “bluebird”? As the clouds broke over night we were graced with a cloudless mid-winter day with temp’s uncharacteristically warm for the Wasatch. One thing though–all the fresh snow that fell the past few days was ripped into oblivion courtesy of the gale force winds that came through over night. This meant the riders had to step it up. Ripping this kind of terrain in Utah pow is one thing; dealing with a wind-scoured moonscape is another. Some were able to adjust; some got adjusted them damn selves. With a field of riders from all over the States and Canada it was Crested Butte loc’ Cliff Dimon who took the cake for the men with lines that were borderline painful to watch. It seemed that putting yourself somewhere between a pickle and a painwich is what the judges wanted to see. Yeah, it’s always entertaining to see someone almost die, but as far as true big mountain riding, well, I like to see someone just annihilate the face top to bottom as opposed to purposefully putting yourself on disasters doorstep. Enter the Canadians. Between Martin Gallant’s inventive lines, Dave Short’s peacefully smooth style and Justin Baun’s scorching speed, personally I was far more impressed with their overall flow, but hey, that just me. I’m also the kind of guy who would rather see massive alley-oops than McBallerina moves in pipe contests but we all know that won’t win you the X Games gold. My point is, everyone’s perception of good riding is different. Incidentally, mine just happens to be correct. HA! Really though, this was such a sweet contest and props to all of the riders out there who stepped it up and got wild despite the less than idea snow conditions. And to The North Face for shooting some life into the all too underappreciated big mountain contest scene–THANK YOU! Keep in mind this was only the first of two contests’ to be held this season with the second at Aleyeska Resort in Alaska April 2-6.
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judging
As someone who competed in this I was somewhat a little disappointed. I agree I would way rather see freestyle brought to the mountain instead of techy lines with straight airs.I was way impressed by Dimon for what he does however it seems to me that these comps still want to see hard booters making big arc turns and getting into tight spots. Maybe Rices comp at JH will infuence others to appreciete what other snowboarders want to see. By the way I belive dimon rides for Head snowboards and this was put on by North face. Just one mans opinion.
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At least it's a step in the right direction though. A contest that involves a mountain, novel concept huh.I think that with the Natural Selection and contests like this, we are going to see zome cool stuff in the next few years.People have to be getting tired of watching rail jams and dudes doing 1260's on perfect park jums.I know I am.
I saw the Natural Selection and you NFM are no Natural Selection
Natural Selection was a freestyle competition, NFMasters was a mountain goat competition. NS is based on genuine snowboard values, NFM is based on, run and judged like a skiing competition. At the riders meetings some of the judges/organizers had to insert their disdain for rails, jibbers and Big Bear. Something that was said almost discouraged freestyle, like "don't just spin cause its new school, you'd better stomp it if you do that stuff" like don't let those technical freestyle tricks that take years to perfect and actual artistry detract from your ability to do sketchy lines and get goat points in our system. Being in Jackson this winter I can appreciate that a lot of riders see their snowboarding as an extension of ski touring and mountaineering. I appreciate that, everyone has their deal, what they are into. I, however, experience snowboarding as rooted in skateboarding and surfing. I want to ride the mountain like a skatepark and surf transitions and do tricks. At this comp I realized that I have more in common with the kids at Big Bear than this North Face mountain goat business. I am glad people have this outlet for their freeriding, it is awesome if it is what you are into and if you are used to being tagged on to freeski comps as a snowboard division. Perhaps you enjoy sitting in the start area for 4 hours in hurricane winds freezing to death while the comp people decide if they are going to postpone the comp or not. Swell! They did kind of advertise this as more of a freestyle "creative" deal, which was misleading (consider the judging call on the 540 above).
I went and hit a windlip in the woods and got 20th for the girls and am totally cool with that.
And I like to see aesthetic and technical freestyle and sometimes that means 1260s on perfect park jumps. Not watching people scoot down rocks. That is just me.
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i sort of agree, except that at least this involved riding down a mountain, something we all did for years before the pipe/park assault we have to deal with now. if this comp was judged a bit better and actually discouraged the idiocy of billy goating it would have been much better, but i'm not willing to throw it away just yet and get all excited about more park/jock spinning contests. 1260's are nonsense, its equivalent to seeing who can throw a football the farthest.
the natural selection has set the bar really high for contests now, and there wasn't a single chucked 900!
different contests, different marketing
Valid points to those above, but totally different contests from a marketing standpoint. NS was a marketing driven, invite only, made for TV type of contest (20 some video cameras). NFM was a registration event. Both valid contests. Billy goating- yep they had one weather day, NS had a pro surf event style week time frame with cooperation from Jackson to keep the areas closed. NS had tons more logistics, per the HUGE budget for it. What rider wears Quicksilver, what kind of rider wears NF? Both legit, both progression of the "contest" format for snowboarding. How many of us could have entered the NS? How many of us could have entered NFM......
It's cool to see another cont
It's cool to see another contest actually involving a mountain.
It's cool to see another cont
It's cool to see another contest actually involving a mountain.