The Midwest freestyle snow sports evolution is in full effect here in southern Michigan. Over the past 10 years the progression of the Midwest’s terrain parks, race courses and half pipes have walked hand and hand with the talented riders this topographically challenged region is producing.
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When names like Danny Davis and Joey Mango keep popping up all over the world, people keep asking, “Where did you say he was from? Michigan? Do they even have mountains there?” People wonder how it is even possible that a West Bloomfield resident, Kyle Mack at age 12 has become the youngest snowboarder to ever land a 1080? This Midwest Progression comes directly from a combination of passionate athletes, and a strong support system of Michigan based grass roots companies that help make these training facilities and contests possible.
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Organizations like BOARDSPORT Terrain Design, Epix Custom Snowboards, and the USASA Huck Finn Contest series have come together to team up with enthusiastic resorts like Alpine Valley to help make all of this possible. Rail Jams, Slope Style, Pipe Contests and Boarder Cross Races have had a long history at Alpine and it has been great to see them move forward year after year to where it has brought us to today.
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This year’s Impossible Rail Jam had a great turnout with over a hundred spectators and 50 skiers and snowboarders who showed up to throw down their best moves on a very challenging set up Sponsored by BOARDSPORT Terrain Design and Epix Custom Snowboards.
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RAIL JAM
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The Set Up:
38’ Step Down Box to Flat-Down Box Connection
12’ Up Rail over a Barrel Bonk to a Down Box connection
20’ Urban Hand Rail
12’ Crooked Flat Bar
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Friday’s contest was a jam format where each age group had 30 min to make the best use of the entire course. By the variety of stylish and technical tricks that were put down each half hour it was evident that our areas talent has grown considerably since last year. One judge made a comment during the largest heat of the evening, 14-17 age group; “Its nights like this that make it difficult to be a judge. There are so many good tricks going down at the same time it’s hard to keep track.”
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Click Here YouTube
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Saturday Huck Finn Held a Slope Style contest for points towards the USASA National Championships at Copper Mountain this spring. Alpine’s Slope course is just one of 3 terrain covered runs at the resort. The run consists of 4 Zones containing 9 features. Saturday also had an outstanding turnout of 60 competitors within the skiing and snowboarding sub divisions. With the fast pace flow of this course many trick combinations were possible.
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SLOPE STYLE:
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The Set Up:
Zone 1: Urban Down Box (left), Urban Down Hand Rail (right)
Zone 2: Elevated Rainbow Rail (left), Step Up Barrel Jib (Center), Flat-Down Rail (right)
Zone 3: 36’ Elevated Flat-Down Box Connection
Zone 4: C-Box (right), C-Rail (Center), 30’ Step Down Jump (left)
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Article and Video by Brian Snabes
Photos by Bonnie Berzins
bonberz.exposuremanager.com
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This entry was posted on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 3:54 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.