Baker ski area to race against the clock, their peers and heroes at the legendary mt. The legendary banked slalom is more than just a race. The 29th annual legendary mount baker banked slalom was one of the more difficult courses in the races history. Baker banked slalom, also known as the legendary banked slalom lbs, is a.
Mt baker banked slalom gathers the pros, olympic gold medalists, and party animals. If that sounds like a good time keep an eye on lbs. Nils, now 22, was still amongst the younger riders in the pro field. In addition to snow history, you can also view the mountains base depth by selecting it from the dropdown. Baker banked slalom february 11, 20 by mary walsh social icon website social icon rss social icon twitter social icon instagram click to share on facebook opens in new window. Baker ski area celebrates 30 years going strong this weekend. Baker snoqualmie national forest and is operated under a permit granted by united states forest service. February is an exciting time for glacier, and more people were coming into town daily in preparation for the legendary banked slalom. Featuring a course of banked turns winding down sugarloafs iconic east coast terrain, the objective is simple. Congratulations to harry kearney on the win and thank you to everyone who.
The eruptive history of the mount baker volcanic field is virtually continuous from 1. And a special shout out to two local racers and realtors julie brown meltdown jb julie brown and jason loeb realty whatcom and skagit county. This years course is from the top of warm springs run and ends just before i80. A week later rain events and a dismal forecast leads to a notification of a possible canceling of the lbs and social media follows with notes of the poor snow season in the nw and the pending cancelation of the mt. Baker banked slalom in 1985 there were a grand total of 19 finishers. Jan 30, 2015 in the early 80s, barci and tom sims, who was the winningest snowboarder in the world at the time, asked howat if they could hold a race on the mountain. Filter by all headwear sort by featured best selling alphabetically, az alphabetically, za price, low to high price, high to low date, new to old date, old to new. Banked slalom tour 2015 vintage snowboard days youtube. Smash life banked slalom is a fundraiser for the late aaron robinsons plant a seed project. Its a contest for a cause the event is a great supporter of suicide prevention among young people in montana. Barrett christy is an american snowboarder and winter olympics athlete.
Join us for the 20th annual nate chute, the second longest running snowboard banked slalom in the us, and the third longest in north america. Baker ski area proved that snowboarding for arts sake is all the motivation the riders needed. Sun valleys only snowboard specific event is back for the 9th year. Baker banked slalom, which became known as the legendary banked slalom.
The firstever and longest running snowboard contest in history. Baker legendary banked slalom only once in its 29 prior seasons has it been canceled. The base elevation is at 3,500 feet 1,067 m, while the peak of the resort is at 5,089 feet 1,551 m. He agreed, and on super bowl sunday, 1985, sims kicked off the firstever mt. The race is the longestrunning event in snowboard history, and i was.
Snowboarders in particular have a strong affinity for mt. Baker legendary banked slalom competition facebook. A course that challenges kids age 9 to 69 and pros of the highest caliber. The high pressure conditions in the month leading up to the event made solid ice out of what is normally a malleable natural half pipe. May 07, 2002 the legendary banked slalom is the longest running snowboarding contest in history.
Baker legendary banked slalom legendary for nothing. The winner receives a duct tape trophy and an embroidered carhartt. What is the best ski resort specifically for snowboarding. Based on the model of the mount baker banked slalom, the sugarloaf banked slalom is an openregistration event hosted in conjunction with olympic gold medalist and sugarloafer, seth wescott. Styled, dialed and perfect for keeping your noggin covered no matter the season care of mt. He is considered one of the most influential snowboarders in the history of the sport. Sun valleys only snowboard specific event of the season. Baker banked slalom, neil edgeworth banked slalom nebs at big white, bc and dicks. Baker has deep roots in the history and culture of snowboarding. She currently resides in gig harbor, washington christy was a member of the first u. It was one of the first ski hills to allow snowboarders and. Baker and watched nils tear apart the banks both regular and switch, i couldnt help but remember that first introduction. Snow was amazing, sun breaks were evident, and the vibe was good.
With only 14 riders at the top of the 500footlong 150 m course, they raced through 15 gates with only a few spectators present. For those new to snowboarding, the legendary banked slalom is just that, legendary. For others, it may be camping under stars in the parking lot of washingtons mt baker ski area, or the thrill of racing through dozens of trying turns in the name of duct tape glory. Now, with another year officially in the books and another proud group of. The legendary banked slalom is the longest running snowboarding contest in history. Baker, the banked slalom course is carved from the natural half pipe each year. Baker banked slalom is in the books yet again, in one years time, the heads will start talking and well be at it all over again, and at this point, after. The lbs is a contest with a mellow vibe, as really your only racing against yourself. Renowned for face shots from epic powder and in large quantities, if sex was a mountain, mt baker would be the orgasm. One of if not the first race was held in 1985, organized by bob barci and tom sims at mt. Snowboarding fast through some twisty gates with your friends. The course is similar to that found in snowboardcross, except smoothed out and without the notch jumps or stepwise rhythm sections. Mt baldy banked slalom riders advisory board about. For the past 31 years snowboarders from around the globe have gathered at the mt.
The resort established itself solidly in the minds of snowboarders early on, by being one of the. Baker, as it was one of the first resorts to allow snowboarding on its slopes back in the 1980s. At the mt baker legendary banked slalom there were no stupid pieces of oversized plastic hanging off my pants, no meathead security people flexing in their tight polo shirts, no cattle gate separating the cool from the not cool enough, no damn lists, just a 2. With that the 25th legendary banked slalom is one for the history books. Feb 22, 2016 ride along with pro snowboarder, ken achenbach, for his winning run in the 1985 category of the 2016 30th anniversary legendary mt. This year the bbs will be held at the top of warm springs run and end just before i80. Based on the model of the mount baker banked slalom, the sugarloaf. Baker legendary banked slalom was a twisting, turning, icy luge with just enough washboard textured snow to chatter an edge. Riding the edge again after losing my sight, raney finds a way to keep snowboarding.
The legendary banked slalom, lbs for short, is the longest running event in snowboard history. Baker was one of the first resorts to welcome rather than ban snowboarders 60 years ago and beyond just becoming a place to ride, its gnarly terrain and huge snowfalls helped it become and remain a snowboarding mecca. Snowboarding is an art, and this years 15th annual legendary banked slalom held at the mt. Baker ski area was hands down the coolest snowboard event i have ever attended. Baker ski area, in washington state, united states. Baker legendary banked slalom is all about having fun, maybe its due to the fact there is no prize money to win, instead the best snowboarders in the world hurl themselves down an icy course for the chance to win a. Jim whittaker, the first american to stand on the worlds highest summit, has said he never encouraged or discouraged his son leif from mountaineering. Beautiful, iceclad mount baker, elevation 10,778 feet 3285 m, is a cascadian volcano 12 million years in the making. Well established and iconic banked slalom events include mt. Baker banked slalom, also known as the legendary banked slalom lbs, is a snowboarding contest held annually since 1985 at mt. Baker got last ski season or any ski season dating back to 20092010, click the corresponding tab. It has a history thats as long as the sport itself.
Baker ski area business office 1420 iowa street bellingham wa 98229. Baker banked slalom, also known as the legendary banked slalom lbs, is a snowboarding contest held. Baker of over 1,000 inches per year, riders get a lot more than just a race. The entry ranks have swelled a wee bit since then, to the point where we had to switch from a firstcome, firstserve entry method to a more complicated system in the 2000s. The lbs is regarded as the predecessor to the boardercross event, and has been won by some of the biggest names in the history of snowboarding. The history of the legendary banked slalom mirrors the history of snowboarding. What is the best ski resort specifically for snowboarding in.
As the covid19 story continues to unfold, sugarloaf is closely monitoring updates and. On top of that, it also happens to be one of the oldest banked slalom events in snowboarding. Ryan davis our 2020 banked slalom artist grew up in oak harbor washington, now living in glacier washington with his lovely family he hangs his heart in the steeps and powder of mt baker. Everest and nepal figure prominently in leifs new memoir, my old man and the mountain. Banked slalom is a loosely organized group of events, primarily in the pacific northwest, but now seen increasingly across western north america and the rest of the snowboard world. Usfs has temporarily closed all developed recreation sites in washington and oregon, as well as all trailheads, campgrounds, and dayuse areas within the mt. Snowboarders come from around the world to race in this contest. The 34th annual legendary banked slalom happens this weekend at mt.
After a lack of snowfall last season forced the event to take an unplanned hiatus, the 30th. The film marries vivid footage with intimate interviews about where the banked slalom began and about all it has become. The overall winners of the open mens and open womens divisions earn an entry to next years mt. Click compare at the top left to see a seasonoverseason comparison of mt. Baker and competing in the legendary banked slalom. Since 1985, the familyrun resort has been host to the event. With the deepest base in north america this event was second to none. The lbs is regarded as the predecessor to the boardercross event, and has been won by. Now in its 9 th year, the baldy banked slalom is one of the qualifiers for the mt.
This past weekend, as i camped out on the side of the legendary banked slalom course at mt. May 30, 2019 im going to agree with thomas and say mt. Associate producer ian anderson says, it felt like just about everyone from the snowboarding community came out of the. Whats to love most about the legendary banked slalom. Feb 19, 2014 there arent many contests where the average weekend warrior can ride and compete on the same course as terje haakonsen, but the mt.
Baker, washington home to the legendary banked slalom snowboard race. She has won more medals than any other female athlete in the winter x games, until lindsey jacobellis pass her. One of the longestrunning snowboarding events in history, the lbs is a. Baker ski area is a ski resort in the northwest united states, located in whatcom county, washington, at the end of state route 542. Each year the legendary banked slalom race draws top snowboarders from around the world to compete for nothing more than the love of the sport and a trophy made of duct tape. Now in its 32 nd year, the event is as popular as ever. The baldy banked slalom is a qualifier for the legendary mt baker banked slalom held in february. There are lots of great places to snowboard, such as jackson hole, snowbird, whistler, and so on. There arent many contests where the average weekend warrior can ride and compete on the same course as terje haakonsen, but the mt.
759 1407 1564 108 125 147 1550 1474 714 321 590 28 1517 837 1616 598 1320 329 693 22 247 1015 1534 714 160 1276 793 1277 115 570 33 789 679 685 1009 136