Blue Mountain Telus Triple Challenge!

Words: Slope/Rail Jam - Jeff King, Big Air - Doug Bishop
Photos: Jeff King, cko
Video: Slow Ride Films

Slopestyle is still the under-card during the Triple Challenge, but a new title sponsor in Telus and a french invasion could make it a legitimate under-card. Saturdays big air finals under the lights and in front of the crowd gets most of the attention but hopefully the traditional friday slopestyle can identify the best skier of the weekend, even if it's just to fellow athletes looking on... and to snowboard judges.

The course set up was mellow enough to allow most everyone to hit all the features. Considering the wide variety of competitors, male and female pro and amateur, snowboard or two skinny snowboards. seemed to fit the course design motto. Competitors spun 450's off the wide flat rail and switched up on the down flat down box with a keen eye for keeping enough speed to get onto the butter pad step down jump. Set up tricks were all that feature allowed aside from the odd backflip by one crazed am division skier. You didnt want to loose speed for the nice lofty table and your first chance to score some air points before making the choice of which cheese wedge to hit for your final air.

many of the days best tricks were thrown down off this nicely shaped table.

Max Hill mid switch 7 off the lofty side of the upper table.

thats a nice high mute.

Justin Meilleur, backwards backside spinny thing... the announcers taught me new tricks.

Charles Grant is a Triple Challenge veteran and Blue Mountain local.

Alex James has his own signature style on these cork 5's

The slopestyle finalists included: Alex James, Max Hill, Charles Grant, Justin Meilleur, Matt Brindisi, Tom Goodal, David Bealeau, Dave Weale. The finals went down in a 2 run best score format. The level of riding was high given the level of experience and talent that made up the top 8 qualifiers but overall reserved as tricks were kept under a thousand degrees of rotation.

rodeos

and opposite mutes.... how civilized.

but no one would stop you if you wanted to chuck something large for the judges.

off the bottom kicker and over the village.

Justin Meilleur, disguised as british in his red coat fell just short of victory.

In the end, smooth skiing Dave Weale scored a sweet victory on home soil.

Mens Pro Ski
1. Dave Weale
2. Justin Meilleur
3. Charles Grant

Mens Am Ski
1. Mack Jones
2. Tom Hubrecht
3. Cameron Mackay

Womens Open Ski
1. Gillian McIver
2. Jessica Warll
3. Reba McIver

Later that evening, the pre drunken masses assembled for that thing after slopestyle but before the after party known as the rail jam. An invited list of skiers took on the typically large original creations that Blue Mountain is known for building. This years rail choices featured an ultra-wide slanted s-rail and a seriously chunky down flat down rail with definite attention payed to gapping possibilities. Making their first appearances of the day were Triple Challenge veterans Tom Dolozel and Andy Stewart, both previous rail jam winners. Tom and Andy were obviously feeling fresh from not competing in slopestyle and spent most of the night airing big 270's and 450's over the kinks, using every bit of strength just to hang on through the large impacts.

the kink rail was cleaned numerous times with the traditional approach...

...and the other approach by Andy Stewart

why light the rail from both sides? you've heard of global warming right?

Nevin Metzger was in full view of the stadium lighting on the s-rail.

Dave Weale trational slide.

and the other approach. Don't forget to wax!

Tom Dolozel soaring high in a 630 attempt late in the session.

Rob Sheridan is the brains behind these rails. I'll tell ya' that guy could build anything! In true signature style he manages to put togehter with his elite ninja welders yet another massive creation.

The daytime is super loose and mellow. There's a starter up at the top of the inrun, and we have something like 3 or 4 hours to hit the jump. You just come into the top, wait for your turn and drop in. Max was holding it down with massive Zeros and Cab sev shifty, blunt and tip. Alex was busting sick cork 5's, but worked himself on a cork 9 attempt at the end of the day. McIver had his signature smooth style in lofty 5/sw 5/7 cab 7 all day long, and Dan Kellar was spinning left and right cork 3 like a champ. I know that Andy, Tom and the frenchies were spinning all kinds of madness off the jump, and Dave Weale had a great mixture of the two. Nobody ever makes it all the way to the end of the qualifying session, as its just so much time, but we all had a blast showing off to the crowd and practising for the nightime finals.

Me Sitting at the top of the inrun in suit #2 of the trip. Check out the EC Headwear hat over the helmet... best use for them ever. I was loving the Giro G10 with the whole bluetooth phone/ipod setup... fucking wild I could actually call my girlfriend just before I dropped in and be like "watch this". Everyone looked at me weird though, because you couldn't tell that my helmet had a builtin mic so it looked like I was talking to myself.

Hugo Peltier laying it down. Vive le Quebec Libre!

Alex James with the wackiest cork 5 of all time. Gets right inverted, which makes it look sweet.

Max Hill and his signature shifty zero.

Max Hill - 2 hands one ski.


Andrew McIver laying down some deadly style.

Max Hill giving shifty lessons.

Hardly anyone agreed with the judges decisions in the end, as it was a battle of style versus technicality. However I guess in a contest its always technical prowess that wins out! Props to all the athletes for throwing down and providing a great big air show to watch.

Of course afterwards there is the legendary Triple Challenge afterparty, Sponsored by Coors Light. The band playing was called DJ Champion, and you should check them out they're pretty cool. It was 4 gutiarists, 1 bassist and a guy playing two computers. The party raged late on into the evening, with all involved enjoying their fair share of coors light. There were even kind ladies walking around handing free ones out... how nice!

Props to everyone at Blue Mountain that made this event happen, and we'll all look forwards to seeing you next year!

Peace!