Alright guys, here is something I wrote after the 2009 Midwest Open at Cascade Ski and Snowboard area in Portage, Wisconsin. I know it is lengthy but if you read it, make sure you read it till the end. If you have any constructive criticism for Cascade, you should email them so we can have a better comp next year.
Simon
Coming off the best session of the season a night before, I had high hopes for the 2009 Midwest Open. Yet again this competition of grand proportions was to be held at Cascade Ski and Snowboard area in Portage, Wisconsin. In previous years, this event was always plagued with some form of sketchiness. Two years ago during my first Midwest Open, the first place prize in all 16+ events was an all inclusive trip to none other than Las Vegas. While it sounds excellent, do not be so quick to reach that conclusion. Coming fresh off a win during the rail jam (no claim intended), I was awarded my trip to the extravagant Sin City. After reading the fine print on the prize, I found that it was only redeemable if you were eighteen years of age or older. As a seventeen year old, I found myself with a prize I could not use. I stood there in disappointment wishing I would have placed second with a brand new pair of Nordica Skis. It was unfortunate that I had to end the day on such a bad note.
While dismayed from the lack of consideration in prizes in the past, I decided to venture down the following year for the 2008 Open. This year, there was a brand new hip event in addition to the recurring big air and rail jam. With competitors coming from all over the Midwest and even Canada, the level of competition was incredibly high. With this in mind, I took the mentality of “go big or go home” and went for a rodeo 630 mute grab. After a few runs of practice we were told that it was the snowboarders’ turn to give their shot at the podium. A substantial amount of time later, it was time for us skiers to step up to the plate and give the crowd a show. Without any more practice or word of changed conditions, we were rapidly sent off one by one to leap into the air onto the new formed ice rink of a landing. Competitor’s tricks ranged from 270’s to corked 630’s; many of which ended in the sound of sliding out on ice. All of a sudden it was my turn to go and I sped towards the hip with determination to stomp my trick. Although I knew it was icy on the landing, I was not aware that the take off had changed as well. I hit the hip with too much speed and was sent off into the flats. Laying face down on the ground, my wrist felt like a bomb went off inside of it. With a compound fracture, I was off to the emergency room with a bummed but still cheerful attitude. Upon coming back to the event a few hours later I was bombarded with comments of how the judging was sub-par. When I hear that a pencilled 1080 beat a switch tweaked 900 onto the podium, I get a little skeptical on the level of judging. The mixture of bad competition management and judging left me once again doubtful of coming down for the next year’s contest. Once again, Cascade found a way to let the skiers down.
Disregarding the faults of Cascade prior to this year, I once again journeyed down for my third consecutive Midwest Open (luckily without a hip contest this time). On the way up from Madison, my buddy Nate and I were already in a sour mood because of the pouring rain. Upon arriving, we saw skiers and boarders alike donning trash bags as ponchos. While many complained about the rain, myself included, we all hit the slopes with as much of a positive attitude as possible. Expecting see the big air on the same steep run as last year, I was surprised to see that it had been moved to a flatter section of the mountain. I was even more saddened when I saw and hit the jumps. The smaller side which was about 35 feet was a nice poppy jump that you could carry far down the landing. The big side was where everything went wrong. It was a 45 foot long distance jump that launched you almost completely horizontally. Without any lift, many competitors favored the smaller jump of the two. Dealing with the cards that we were dealt, we all hit the jumps and threw our tricks. When the winners were announced about four hours later, there were more disapproving competitors claiming the judging was not fair. Some said judges favored others, others commented that the judges did not know the tricks they were seeing; I personally believe it was a combination of the two. Either way, the results were in and everyone on the podium threw down and deserved props. All of the competitors deserve a shout out, especially Chris McKeever who threw down in both big air and rail jam and in my opinion did not get the results or lack thereof he deserved. After the very long break between competitions, the rail jam was to start. After an agonizing disorganized practice, each division started to slay the sick set up. But not before the judges, who comprised of two snowboarders and a substantially old skier, announced that the contest was to be a “best trick event”. It was almost a unanimous opinion within the competitors that this was ridiculous. When I sign up for a rail jam, I expect an overall performance based competition which allows for variety and good vibes. Nobody was excited to see someone try an insane trick 20 times before finally landing one. Pissed off and tired from our five hour break between big air and the rail jam, we started the comp with negative vibes. Later on after finals, word once again got back to me that the judging was unfair. Not just the one or two people that voice their opinions, multiple disgruntled competitors and spectators. More than one skier left the Midwest Open saying they were disappointed and some even were so disgusted that they swore to never return.
While the Midwest Open has had many failures in the past, there is a reason that I come back every year. Although it is easy to dwell on the negative aspects of any event, I implore you to look past the sketchy set ups, or irritable judging and see the positive. Between the pissed off comments, many of which came from me, there were smiles everywhere I looked. There were kids getting amped on landing a trick and even more people getting stoked for them. Compliments and high fives dominated this year at the Midwest Open. Whether you are hanging with your crew or meeting new friends, we all share skiing in common. It amazed me when a competitor you don’t know comes up to you and gives you props on a trick. While I do believe the competition is often poorly run, skiers are the ones that make it worth it. Hopefully next year Cascade will take our constructive criticism and fulfill the potential this event has. But even if it doesn’t, I know where I will be around this time next year. So if you ask me why I keep coming to an event that is so poorly run, I will only have one thing to say, “Because I love skiing.”
Thanks to park crew for holding it down in bad weather conditions, Luke (The_Future) for hooking me up with some cheap passes, and all the skiers that made the MWO a blast. Hope to see you guys next year.
Simon Montgomery
P.S. here is the link to my fall on the hip jump where I broke my wrist last year.
