POWDER Superpark 6 - Day Five
by Jamey Voss
At the end of the Jabra X Jam Series rail jam, Peter Olenick was still going. He didn't win and he didn't care. He was soaked to the bone and he didn't seem to notice. He still wanted a pull to the top of the course, because he still wanted to hit the rail. Eventually he gave up on the sleds and hiked, along with a handful of other skiers. It was snowing sideways and cold and wet. No photos would be shot, no film rolled. With nobody looking they still wanted to ski, because they love their sport
The grand finale to Superpark 6, the Jabra X Jam Series Rail Jam, came during the height of bad conditions that plagued the week. The athletes rallied nonetheless, because it's Superpark and there was $1,000 on the line. All the spectators huddled under the roof of the deck at the Sunrise base lodge, clutching their Rooster Tail Ales provided by Cascade Lakes Brewing Company. We drank beers and warmed our hands over the grill. With world-class rail grinding to watch, it was the kind of party skiers dream about.
The field of about 15 men and two women dropped into the rail from under the Jabra arch to begin the 30 minutes of Round One. With Rex Thomas on the mic, talking smack famously, and DJ Pat A from Camp Windells on the turntables, the horrendous weather seemed to fade in the background. The riders hit the rail, a 6-foot gap to flat-down, with fury. Everyone was pushing hard, including the little guys. Nine-year-old Calum Pettit, 11-year-old Sean Pettit and 14-year-old Kye Petersen were all attempting spins to disaster with some success. The ladies were really standing out as well. Grete Eliasen and Ashley Battersby were blurring the line between male and female and impressed Jabra's representative Heidi Adams so much that she decided to throw in an extra $500 for the best female, on top of the $1,000 already slated for the guys.
Judges Steve Rozendaal, Pete O'Brien, and Eric Iberg retired, beer in hand, to discuss the results of Round 1. They emerged, after careful discussion, to announce that Iannick B., Tom Dolezel, and Cory Vanular would be in the finals for the men; and Grete and Ashley for the ladies. Fifteen minutes were put on the clock and, after a bit of landing maintenance, the show continued...
Dolezel and Vanular put on a good performance-with multiple corked 450 disasters and some 50/50 grinds-but Iannick B. was the clear winner. Untouchable on rails, Iannick was throwing 270 on the flat to 360 down to fakie off. His technical prowess overshadowed any large spins to disaster, which he dominated anyway with a handful of corked 810 disasters. If there was ever an L.A. Lakers of rails, it's Iannick.
The ladies threw down impressive performances as well. Ashley nailed some 270s on and took a beating attempting the 450 disaster. Grete went the same route trying multiple 450 disasters, Violently slamming her body on to the rail multiple times, but always walking away unscathed. Both riders would have had better success if not for the large hole that was forming at the bottom of the rail. In the end it was too difficult for the judges to choose a winner, so the girls split the winnings evenly. And everyone in the competition went home a winner with a Jabra Freespeak wireless mobile phone headset.
Following the rail jam, everyone was asked to vote for the skier who most deserved the POWDER Superpark Winter X Games spot. Preliminary counts have Candide Thovex, Cory Vanular, Tim Durtschi and Charles Gagnier all in the running. Check back to POWDERmag.com in the coming days for news on the winner.
With the Jabra X Jam Rail Series Rail Jam complete, Superpark 6 was called. Everyone ran to their cars to head down the mountain to dry out, and another successful Superpark was inked in the books.
POWDER magazine would like to thank its sponsors: Jabra, Salomon North America, and Red Bull Energy Drink. It would also like to thank Superpark 6 hosts Mt. Bachelor and The Inn of the Seventh Mountain, because Superpark would not have been possible without them. A special thanks goes out to James Jackson and his hand crew team from High Cascade Snowboard Camp.
For Superpark 6 photographs, please contact Powder photo editor David Reddick:
949-661-5193 david.reddick@primedia.com
For general Superpark press material and information, please contact Powder editor-at-large, Keith Carlsen:
801-322-0090 powdereditor@aol.com