Words / Photo: Matty V.

Summer is a special time with sun, birds, and magical clouds shaped like flying unicorns. Every summer parents from around the world send their young ones off to camp so they can have a week of walking around the house naked and eating strawberries off of one another (this is how your little sister was born.) One such camp nestled in the woods of Oregon is known to the snowboard world as High Cascade. High Cascade has long been the epicenter of summer snowboard fun and progression, and when we were given the opportunity to host a mind bending snowboard competition there we couldn’t resist. So we packed our moldy snowboard gear into the car and made our way down from the head office in Seattle for a couple days in Government Camp. When we woke up it was kind of misty and after experiencing a rainy day one day prior we were doubtful our star studded event was going to take place. However, the calls and text messages started pouring in informing us that up on the mountain the sun was shining and the kids where ready to go ballistic! Signal Am and Jim Morrison look alike Jake Olson-Elm was there blasting of the hip and getting the kids fired up about wining a Signal Snowboard.

We set up on the picnic table to mini hip-quarter pipe thing and let the kids know we would be judging on creativity, raditude, and facial expression. The session started out with the kids being a little timid in front of the high profile celebrity judges and award winning photog, but once the dice started rolling the kids started busting moves. It was cool that all skill levels took a shot at the prize and everyone just jammed out and had fun. However at the pinnacle of the session we had to select a few riders for the finals so we could make a decision on what lucky lady and dude would be walking with the prizes. After the smoked cleared and the gunslingers holstered their weapons we had our winners. Now if I was a paid journalist and not just a humor columnist I would have been writing down their names so they could brag to their friends and hopefully get a summertime French kiss of the hype of summer stardom. I didn’t though, sorry kids.

In the end, we had one young lady and one young man who left camp with next years snowboards and a sweet story to tell their rejuvenated parents. Signal Snowboards would like to thank High Cascade Snowboard Camp, Louie Louie Clothing Scott from New York for letting us crash, our three celeb judges Jake Olson Elm, Jordan Michilot, and someone who we cant really mention due to sponsorship obligations but his name rhymes with messy curtner. Also a big thanks to High Cascade employee and Signal rider Matt Teperow for all his hard work through out the summer.

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